A ROYAL Air Force crew from the Brize Norton base has helped save the lives of two helicopter pilots who crashed into the sea in the Philippines.

The RAF Hercules – which is out in the Pacific state helping with the humanitarian effort following Typhoon Haiyan – received a distress call from pilots who had crashed into harbour waters.

The RAF crew were about to land to collect more aid equipment from Manila Airport when they heard the mayday call.

Flight Lieutenant Tom Arnold said: “It was an instinctive response.

“When we heard that mayday, we knew we had to do something.”

The rescue comes after the crew were sent to the country to help out after more than 5,000 people were killed and millions displaced by the severe storm on Friday, November 8.

County airmen have been taking supplies – including shelters and water purification equipment – to islands worst-hit by the devastating tropical storm.

And it was following two aid flights on Sunday, November 24, when the crew picked up the distress call and went out to search for the aircraft in trouble.

The chopper had crashed into Manila Bay after delivering humanitarian relief to typhoon survivors in the Visayas islands.

Its pilots gave the RAF Hercules their last known position over the radio and the Oxfordshire crew began the search.

As they approached the crash site, a voice on the radio directed them and soon the stranded pilots’ life jackets were spotted in the water.

The crew then co-ordinated rescue efforts and called air traffic control and the coast guard.

A United States plane soon arrived and dropped a life raft for the survivors.

The RAF Hercules – call sign ‘PAGASA 47’ meaning ‘there is still hope’ in Filipino – stayed close to the raft until it spotted a fishing ship heading towards it.

The RAF C-130 Hercules captain, Flight Lieutenant Jamie Knox, said: “Stuff like this doesn’t happen every day.

“It is fantastic that we were able to help our fellow pilots at the same time as helping the people of the Philippines.”

Last month the Oxford Mail reported how crews from RAF Brize Norton were working around the clock to deliver supplies to areas worst hit by the severe storm.

The base has also sent RAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft to transport heavy goods to the islands.