A maritime police helicopter carrying four crew members crashed off the waters of Mara Island early Friday, leaving two persons dead and one missing.

According to the Korea Coast Guard on Friday, the S-92 helicopter that belongs to the South Regional Headquarters of the Korea Coast Guard crashed at 1:32 a.m. in waters 370 kilometers southwest of Marado, an island eight kilometers off the south of Jeju Island.

The captain was rescued by a nearby patrol ship, but suffered multiple fractures and was transported to a hospital in Jeju.

The ill-fated chopper crashed soon after taking off from dropping six search officials on the patrol ship, which was heading to Taiwanese waters to join the search for six missing South Koreans.

Seven coast guard patrol boats, four aircraft, four Navy warships, a government vessel and two private fishing boats have been dispatched to search for the missing crew.