Gendarmerie helicopter crashes in French forest, one killed
Gendarmerie helicopter crash in Loiret kills one, injures two crew members.
Event / Disaster
France Gendarmerie Helicopter Crash
A National Gendarmerie EC145 helicopter crashed in Orléans state forest near Bray-Saint-Aignan on June 7, 2026, during a search and rescue operation. One crew member was killed and two others injured.
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2026-08-16 to 2026-11-13 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 8 Jun, 12:06 UTC
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What happened
Two gendarmerie crew members injured in helicopter crash
The pilot and flight mechanic of the helicopter were injured in the crash and evacuated conscious in urgent condition to the Orléans university hospital center. Both crew members were transported from the crash scene.
Adjutant Dorian Larigauderie killed in helicopter crash
Adjutant Dorian Larigauderie, assigned to the Châteauneuf-sur-Loire gendarmerie brigade, died in the helicopter crash. He was conducting an aerial search operation for a missing person with colleagues from the Villacoublay air forces.
French National Gendarmerie helicopter crashes in Loiret forest
A National Gendarmerie helicopter crashed in the Orléans state forest near Bray-Saint-Aignan in Loiret on Sunday afternoon at 4:40 PM. The aircraft was an EC145 model based at the Villacoublay air group. The crash occurred while the helicopter was engaged in a search and rescue operation.
Large-scale emergency response mobilized for helicopter crash
Emergency services deployed 48 firefighters with 36 vehicles, 30 Loiret gendarmes, and a mobile gendarmerie squadron from Maisons-Alfort. A fire command post was established, drones and a SAMU helicopter were mobilized for rescue operations. A medical-psychological emergency unit was opened at the Châteauneuf-sur-Loire gendarmerie brigade.
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