The wreckage of the Irish Coast Guard helicopter which crashed last month has been recovered from the sea.

Dive teams still haven’t managed to locate the two missing crew members, Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby, but searchers say they won’t give up.

The Irish Coast Guard’s Gerard O’Flynn says the fuselage from Rescue 116 has now been lifted on board the Irish Lights’ vessel the Granuaile.

“That was picked up by a tug, by a company based in Bere Island in Cork. They were working with us over the last day or two.

“It’s been transferred onto the Granuaile and is now in the custody of the Air Accident Investigation Unit and they will determine it’s final location to facilitate their own investigation,” he said.

Addressing the media after last night’s operation, Jurgen Whyte from the Air Accident Investigation Unit said lifting the wreckage was a difficult and hazardous operation, which required special skills.

“What we did actually retrieve is the rotor head, the main gearbox, one engine, and associated wreckage around that.

“It was what we expected to lift. The lifting was a really extreme and hazardous environment and I really have to compliment all the people that were involved,” he said.