The bodies of two maritime police officers missing from a helicopter crash last week were recovered in southwestern waters of Korea, the Coast Guard said Friday.

One was found dead and three went missing after the Coast Guard helicopter crashed in the waters off Gageodo Island on March 13. The 52-year-old captain and 36-year-old copilot were found dead with their seatbelts fastened in the body of the chopper by a rescue team that was recovering the wreckage with a floating crane.

Four officers were on board for a mission to transport an emergency patient from an island to an inland hospital, the authorities said.

The Coast Guard suspects that a thick sea fog led to the accident, they added.

The body of the helicopter was found some 1,200 meters south of the island on Thursday, six days after the accident.

Having recovered the wreckage of the helicopter, investigators will launch a probe to determine the exact cause of the accident, officials said.

The authorities are still continuing their search for the 29-year-old missing person, they added.

By Lee Hyun-jeong (rene@heraldcorp.com)