Salvage teams are racing against time to recover the helicopter from the sea floor off Anna Bay before it breaks up.
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Water police spent a third day patrolling the area where the aircraft crashed on Friday night before heavy seas forced them to retreat mid-afternoon.
With further rough seas forecast for coming days there are fears the remains of 1960s-era Bell UH1 may disintegrate further before they can be retrieved.
Wreckage from helicopter was spotted on Saturday, with the tail rotor found by water police about 8.45am. The Westpac Rescue Helicopter spotted the main airframe less than an hour later, roughly eight kilometres south of Fingal Bay.
The wreckage sunk before it could be retrieved.
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Police have also appealed for anyone with photos or vision of the helicopter in the moments before the crash to come forward.
"Police are interested in talking to anyone who may have been in the Anna Bay/Fishermans Beach area between 5pm and 7pm on Friday or may have filmed the helicopter or taken images of it," a police statement said.
Jamie Ogden and Grant Kuhnemann, both from Queensland, Jocelyn Villanueva and Gregory Miller, a married couple from Sydney and the chopper's pilot and owner David Kerr from Queensland are all believed to have perished when the helicopter disappeared from the Williamtown air traffic control radar at 6.49pm on Friday.
Mr Ogden's family father and brother spoke of their shock and heartache shortly after arriving in Newcastle on Sunday.
"It's pretty hard but it must be harder on the grandchildren, Jamie's daughter and son," Mr Ogden said.
He thanked the rescue teams that were searching for the aircraft.
"Everything that is possible is being done as far as the police and rescue. It makes you feel a bit better," he said.