Bond offshore helicopters confirmed one of its Super Pumas had ditched All 18 people aboard a helicopter which ditched in the North Sea have survived and have been rescued from two life-rafts, the coastguard has said. The Super Puma came down near a platform in the ETAP field 125 miles east of Aberdeen. The alarm was raised at about 1840 GMT. Three were rescued by a Bond company helicopter while the other 15 were recovered by a platform lifeboat. The coastguard said there were no serious injuries. However, there were some people with minor injuries, described as walking wounded. British military spokesman James Lyne, from the RAF base at Kinloss, told the BBC that the helicopter, which is owned by Bond offshore helicopters, was still floating on the surface of the water. He could not explain why it had gone down but said an investigation was underway. He said all those on board would have been wearing immersion suits that would have protected them from the cold of the sea for some time. Lifejacket lights People on board the installation saw the incident unfold, and raised the alarm with the coastguard. There were initial reports of lifejacket lights being seen in the water, and signals being picked up from personal locator beacons, which are attached to lifejackets. Three flares were also reported to have been seen from the platform, and parts of helicopter fuselage were seen on the surface. Four helicopters, including three in-field aircraft and a Sea King from RAF Lossiemouth, took part in the rescue. A Nimrod from RAF Kinloss was also scrambled. NHS Grampian said A&E; staff at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary were now on full alert and they were expecting 18 patients. Have you been affected by this story? Are you in the Aberdeen coastal area? Send us your comments below. In most cases a selection of your comments will be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. Name
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A Super Puma helicopter, similar to the one involved in the incident
A British helicopter with eighteen people on board ditched in the water while approaching an oil installation in the North Sea on Wednesday. According to Her Majesty's Coastguard, everyone on board the aircraft survived the crash, and have been picked up by two life-boats.

The helicopter, a Super Puma registered (G-REDU) to Bond Offshore Helicopters, crashed about 125 miles miles east of the Scottish city of Aberdeen. A Nimrod jet from the RAF Kinloss, a Sea King helicopter from RAF Lossiemouth, and several choppers from nearby oil platforms searched the area after the alarm was raised at 18.40 GMT. The search effort, however, was hampered by limited visibility and low clouds in the area.

Dave Webster, a squadron leader with the Royal Air Force, said that this type of accident is a very rare occurrence.

The helicopter that ditched would have been equipped with survival suits to shield the passengers from the cold waters, as well as a flotation device.