‘At least five missing’ as firefighting helicopter crashes into Portuguese river with ‘pilot rescued by tourist boat’

A firefighting helicopter with at least six people on board has crashed into a river in northern Portugal.

The pilot of the chopper is said to have been rescued by a tourist boat on the Douro River.

But at least five police on board the helicopter, which is thought to be underwater, are still missing following the crash in Cambres near the city of Lamego.

Local reports say the police are members of an emergency protection and help unit of the GPR force called the UEPS.

The alarm was raised around 12.30pm this afternoon, and a vast search and rescue operation was launched in the area.

File image shows a view of the River Douro in the north of Portugal, where the crash took place

GNR chief Mafalda Gomes de Almeida has confirmed the only person rescued so far is the helicopter pilot, who was taken to a nearby hospital.

He sustained some fractures and is suffering from hypothermia after the crash, local media reports, but is not in a life threatening condition.

The helicopter had been returning from fighting a fire in Baião, around 45 miles east of the city of Porto, according to reports.