A tourist helicopter crashes off the coast of a Hawaiian island, resulting in the death of one person and the disappearance of two others.
A helicopter operated by Ali‘i Kaua‘i Air Tours and Charters crashed into the water approximately a quarter mile offshore along the Na Pali Coast on Kaua'i.
On Thursday, a tourist helicopter crashed off the coast of Kauaʻi, resulting in the death of one person and the disappearance of two others.
A helicopter operated by Ali‘i Kaua‘i Air Tours and Charters crashed approximately a quarter mile offshore along the Na Pali Coast on Thursday afternoon, as per the County of Kaua'i government's Facebook page.
According to the post, hikers on the Kalalau Trail witnessed the helicopter go down and reported the crash to Kaua'i Police Dispatch around 1:20 p.m. local time.
At 2:25 p.m., one body was found in the ocean, while two others were still missing according to a 6:10 p.m. update from the county. The names of the helicopter's passengers have not been disclosed.
The U.S. Coast Guard continued its search into the evening, while local search and recovery efforts were paused for the safety of first responders. Local efforts will resume "at first light on Friday," the county announced.
The multi-agency response will continue for the search and recovery of the two missing bodies, as stated by Kaua'i Police Chief Todd Raybuck.
He stated that our hearts are with the families affected by this tragedy, and we will continue to collaborate with our partners to locate the missing individuals and offer support during this challenging period.
The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed a temporary flight restriction in the search area, but the operation is still ongoing.
Derek S.K. Kawakami, the mayor, expressed his grief through the county's Facebook page after the crash, stating that he was "incredibly sad" to learn of the fatality and the two missing individuals.
"At this time, we lack information about the incident, but our first responders are working diligently in the emergency operation. We express our sympathy to the families of those affected."
Sylvia Luke, the acting governor, conveyed her deepest sympathies to the families affected by the crash and expressed gratitude to the responding agencies for their help.
Personnel from various agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Kaua'i Fire Department, Hawai'i Emergency Management Agency, Ocean Safety Bureau, and Kaua'i police, are involved in search and recovery operations.
The National Transportation Safety Board is probing the cause of the helicopter crash.
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