Four Maltese oil workers were among survivors of a helicopter crash in the North Sea late yesterday, timesofmalta.com has confirmed.

They were Richard Gauci, Adrian Gomes, Emanuel Spiteri and Keith Spiteri. All are in good health.

Brendon Gauci told timesofmalta.com that his brother Richard had been on the helicopter having left Malta just two days ago. He phoned the family just two hours after the crash to confirm that everyone was safe.

"They were in shock and they have lost all their belongings, but they are otherwise OK," Mr Gauci said.

Another reader said her nephew, Keith Spiteri, 20, had been asleep on the helicopter when the crash landing took place.

She said he phoned home soon after the incident, and they also saw him on British television.

"He thought he was in a dream, but awoke to find himself in the water" she said. He too was uninjured. She said Mr Spiteri has been an oil worker for just over a year.

The four were assisted by the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Maltese High Commission. They are expected in Malta on leave in the coming days.

News agencies reported that the Super Puma helicopter had been carrying 18 people when it crashed. The British coastguard rescued everyone involved from the rough seas.

The helicopter crashed just before it reached the platform about 200 kilometres east of Aberdeen.

"All 18 people who were travelling on board a Super Puma Bond helicopter on a routine crew change trip have been recovered ... (they) are safe and undergoing medical checks," said a spokesman for Britain's Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

The alarm was raised by people on the oil platform who saw the helicopter go down. The coastguard immediately sent out two helicopters, and two Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft were also deployed.

A number of vessels joined the search, and they were guided to the helicopter in the darkness by flares and lifejacket lights, where they found all 18 survivors huddled in two life rafts.

Three people were winched up by a helicopter but this had to be stopped because of worsening weather, so the remaining 15 were taken by sea to the oil rig, where all 18 underwent medical checks. No serious injuries were reported.

James Lyne, a spokesman for the RAF base at Kinloss on the north-eastern Scottish coast, could not explain why the helicopter went 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, adding: "They all managed to get out safely. It is a very good result."

See Video below

mynews@timesofmalta.com