Operation Sumatra Assist was the
Australian Defence Force's (ADFs) contribution to disaster relief in Indonesia following the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. ADF personnel were deployed within hours of the earthquake. They served mainly in
Aceh. Medical and engineering staff were prominent, with helicopters and cargo aircraft, supported offshore by and its two
Sea King helicopters.
Phase 2
At about 09:30UTC 2 April 2005, Sea King helicopter with call sign "
Shark 02" crashed on the island of
Nias
Nias ( id, Pulau Nias, Nias language: ''Tanö Niha'') (sometimes called Little Sumatra in English) is an island located off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Nias is also the name of the archipelago () of which the island is the centre, ...
, off the west coast of
Sumatra during the humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of the
2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake. Nine Australian Defence Force personnel were killed; 6 Navy and 3 Air Force personnel. Two others were recovered alive from the site by the other Sea King operating from HMAS Kanimbla and transferred to it for medical assistance in its hospital facilities.
References
External links
* Australian Department of Defenc
Operation Sumatra Assist
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumatra Assist, Operation
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Non-combat military operations involving Australia