Obviously Rotorspeed has little understanding of SAR environment. Top Cover is used to provide communications cover and safety back to the Helo undertaking the SAR mission or MEDIVAC as in this sad case. 150Nm+ from land and down at 100ft approx above sea level there is no ATC comms.
The history of Top Cover off west coast of Ireland goes back a long way back to the time of the Nimrod. Since its demise we have used Irish Air Corps assets - Casa and which ever fixed wing A/C was available.