(WatchDogReport.org) – Hawaii officials said on July 12 that a fatal accident in the Hawaiian city of Kauai left one person dead and two others missing after a helicopter that was carrying them crashed a quarter mile offshore. In a statement, the US Coast Guard explained that authorities are still searching for the two missing individuals and said it was impossible to determine whether they were still alive or dead.
Officials detailed that hikers along the Kalalau Trial witnessed the helicopter going down to the water and reported the accident to the Hawaiian police at 1:20 p.m. The fatal crash was reported in Na Pali Coast’s Hanakoa Valley, and it involved Charters helicopters and Air Tours Ali’I Kauai, one of the most famous touring guides in Hawaii.
During a press conference, Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck said that he and the department wanted to express their condolences to the families of the three people who were in the accident, which he referred to as a “tragedy.” He also told reporters that the department would work with its partners not only to find the missing individuals but also to provide full support to their families during such a “difficult time.”
Raybuck added that search and recovery efforts were their main focus at that point and revealed that the US Federal Aviation Agency executed a flight restriction in the zone as the multi-agency search operation remains active. When asked how long the rescue efforts will last, Raybuck replied, “as long as it takes.”
Unfortunately, his words were proven false as authorities called off the search after 60 hours and combing through hundreds of square miles of ocean.
Preliminary information about the tragic crash showed that the type of helicopter used in the tour was a Robinson R45. They added that the US National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are currently in charge of the investigation. The Ocean Safety Bureau, Kaua’i’s Emergency Management Agency, and the Fire Department are also responding to the case.
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