HANALEI, Hawaii (TNND) — A tourist helicopter crash on Kauai's Kalalau Beach resulted in three fatalities and two injuries on Thursday afternoon.
The incident occurred around 3:50 p.m. when a helicopter carrying one pilot and four passengers crash-landed approximately 100 yards off the beach, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Emergency responders from the Kauai Fire Department, along with local good Samaritans, rescued the two survivors and transported them to Wilcox Medical Center for medical evaluation, officials said.
The helicopter was identified as belonging to Airborne Aviation, which offers sightseeing tours of Kauai's landscapes. The company promotes a “doors-off thrill seekers adventure tour.”
Cmdr. Andrew Williams, the search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, expressed condolences for the lost lives and extended thoughts to the survivors.
Kauai's Mayor Derek Kawakami commended the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and local emergency agencies. “We treat every visitor like family, and our first responders embody this spirit,” he stated.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing.