EXCLUSIVE: On Board Mounts Bay As Royal Navy Rescues Mother & Children From Hurricane Maria

A Royal Navy helicopter has rescued a mother and her two children stranded on the upturned hull of a boat capsized by Hurricane Maria.

Dramatic footage filmed by the US Coast Guard shows the family waving frantically as a Wildcat helicopter circles overhead.

Then, in a joint operation by the helicopter from 216 Flight and the US Coast Guard, the woman and two children are winched to safety.

It has since been reported that a Britsh man died before the Royal Navy crew were able to get to the stricken boat.

The US Coast Guard received a distress call a day before the rescue from the boat, saying two adults and two children were on board.

Forces News has been exclusively onboard RFA Mounts Bay and witnessed the survivors arriving back on the ship.

Our team spoke to Capt Stephen Norris, Captain of the Royal Fleet Auxillary ship:

"We talked to the mother of the family and they were clearly trying to escape Hurricance Maria. They got themselves in the wrong area, at the wrong time in the way of the winds and the seas. I understand there were some failures on their vessel as well."

By the time 216 Flight reached the boat, after hours of searching, hopes of finding survivors on board were slim. 

The pilot of the Wildcat, Lieutenant Oliver Bundock, thought it was unlikely:

"The reports that had come in, the SAR operation had begun almost 24 hours before, so there was a real feeling that actually how likely is it that these people would have survived."

Personnel have been using Wildcat helicopters to distribute aid in areas that have been cut off by Hurricane Maria, which has seen winds of up to 150mph. 

Over 1,300 troops are in the region assisting with the aftermath of it and Hurricanes Irma.