The fuselage of a helicopter that crashed in South Korea's southwestern waters last

week was found Thursday, with authorities continuing their search for three missing people.

Authorities said the body of the Coast Guard helicopter that crashed in waters off Gageo Island on Friday was found about 1,000 meters south of the island around noon.

The accident left one dead and three others aboard the helicopter missing. They had been on a mission to transport an emergency patient to an inland hospital and were trying to land near a seawall.

The Coast Guard said it dispatched a group of deep-sea divers around 7 p.m., a time of the day when the tidal currents are expected to calm, to search for the missing.

The Coast Guard also altered its earlier search plan. It had initially set out to first look for the missing inside the chopper and then to try to raise the wreckage with a floating crane.

However, a Coast Guard official said the body of the helicopter will be recovered first in protective netting and then the search for the missing will take place.

"Since it is relatively light, there's shouldn't be a problem lifting it," the official added.

A thick sea fog reported in the area may have caused the accident, authorities said. (Yonhap)