Search for crashed chopper off Anna Bay suspended

The search for a helicopter which crashed off Anna Bay, killing its five occupants, has been suspended and police have made a fresh call for witnesses to come forward.

• Search fails to find crashed helicopter off Anna Bay
• Anna Bay: Four believed dead in helicopter crash

The search for a helicopter which crashed off Anna Bay, killing its five occupants, has been suspended.

And investigators have renewed calls for any possible eyewitnesses to the crash of the doomed helicopter to contact them.

Water police and specialist divers had spent several days searching an area about five kilometres off Birubi Point for the Bell UH-1H machine that had vanished from the radar during horrendous conditions on September 6.

Sgt Tony Hogg prepares the water police vessel "Intrepid" to head out from Nelson Bay to rejoin last week. Picture: Darren Pateman

Respected pilot David Kerr, Queensland mates Jamie Ogden and Grant Kuhnemann, and Sydney couple Jocelyn Villanueva and Gregory Miller are all believed to be have perished in the crash.

Weather conditions in the six days following the crash had thwarted any concerted search for the wreckage and its possible occupants.

Greg Miller & Jocelyn Villaneuva. Picture Facebook

Jamie Ogden a victim of the helicopter crash

But even as conditions eased, searchers were unable to pinpoint the resting place of the 1966 Bell UH-1H, a type used by US and Australian forces in the Vietnam War and modified by Mr Kerr.

Worsening weather conditions this week will hamper any further searches.

A diving team headed out on the retrieval mission to bring back the bodies of five people who went down in the chopper of Anna Bay. But could not find the helicopter. Picture: Peter Lorimer

A police spokeswoman said on Monday that the search had been suspended, with water police to continue conducting normal taskings, including in and around Anna Bay.

Decisions on further searches would be made at a later date.