Three people have died after a helicopter crashed off the Hawaiian island of Kauai, police said.
The helicopter was carrying one pilot and four passengers, police said in a statement. Two survivors were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Police said the helicopter was operated by Airborne Aviation, a company whose website advertises “a doors-off thrill seekers adventure tour” of the picturesque island’s waterfalls, canyons, and beaches.
The US Coast Guard said the helicopter crash-landed about 100 yards off Kalalau beach. Authorities have not yet identified the victims.
Police said they responded to an alert of the crash at around 15:45 local time (01:45 GMT), along with the Coast Guard and fire department.
Kauai’s Mayor Derek Kawakami praised the recovery effort, telling local media: “Here on Kaua’i, whenever somebody puts their feet on our soil, they are one of ours.
“We treat them like one of ours, they are a part of our family, and our first responders respond with that spirit in mind.”
Andrew Williams, search and rescue mission co-ordinator for the Coast Guard in Honolulu, said: “We are greatly saddened by the loss of three lives in this helicopter crash and thinking of those individuals’ families and friends.”
Airborne Aviation’s 50-minute tour of the island offered a maximum of four passengers and costs $348 (£262) per passenger, according to its website.
BBC News has contacted Airborne Aviation for comment.
The incident is the latest fatal crash in Kauai involving a tour helicopter. Three people were killed when a helicopter operated by a different tour company crashed in July 2024.
The 2024 crash was caused by “an encounter with turbulence due to downdraft winds that resulted in mast bumping and an inflight breakup”, a report by the National Transportation Safety Board said.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com