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Hawaii: authorities find wreckage of missing tour helicopter Hawaii: authorities find wreckage of missing tour helicopter
(about 2 hours later)
Helicopter disappeared Thursday carrying seven people. Rescue crews are searching for survivors Helicopter disappeared Thursday carrying seven people. Rescue crews are searching for possible survivors
Authorities in Hawaii said Friday the wreckage of a helicopter that went missing the previous day has been found and that crews were searching for survivors. The wreckage of a helicopter carrying seven people was found Friday in a mountainous area on the island of Kauai, authorities in Hawaii said, as crews continued the search for possible survivors.
Rescuers had searched all morning on Friday for a tour helicopter carrying seven people that disappeared during a trip to one of the most rugged and remote coastlines in Hawaii. Rescuers had searched all morning on Friday for the tour helicopter that disappeared during a trip to one of the most rugged and remote coastlines in Hawaii.
A search that began Thursday night was expanded Friday morning, but the steep terrain, low visibility, choppy seas and rain made the effort challenging, the coast guard said. Officials said in a news release that additional resources have been sent to aid the search, which began Thursday night and was expanded Friday morning. The steep terrain, low visibility, choppy seas and rain made the effort challenging, the coast guard said.
“Those conditions are not ideal,” coast guard Chief Petty Officer Sara Muir said. Rescue teams were “looking for any sign of the helicopter both on land and in the water and along the coastline”.“Those conditions are not ideal,” coast guard Chief Petty Officer Sara Muir said. Rescue teams were “looking for any sign of the helicopter both on land and in the water and along the coastline”.
The helicopter company, identified as Safari Helicopters, contacted the coast guard about 45 minutes after the aircraft was due back from a tour of Kauai’s Na Pali coast on Thursday evening, a coast guard statement said.The helicopter company, identified as Safari Helicopters, contacted the coast guard about 45 minutes after the aircraft was due back from a tour of Kauai’s Na Pali coast on Thursday evening, a coast guard statement said.
The Eurocopter AS350 helicopter took off from the town of Lihue, the Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.The Eurocopter AS350 helicopter took off from the town of Lihue, the Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.
The helicopter has an electronic locator, but no signals had been received, according to the coast guard.The helicopter has an electronic locator, but no signals had been received, according to the coast guard.
The chopper was carrying a pilot and six passengers, two of whom were believed to be minors, the coast guard said.The chopper was carrying a pilot and six passengers, two of whom were believed to be minors, the coast guard said.
Clouds and rain at the scene limited visibility to 4 miles (6.4km), with winds at 28mph (45km/h). Friday’s forecast predicted winds were at about 23mph (37km/h).Clouds and rain at the scene limited visibility to 4 miles (6.4km), with winds at 28mph (45km/h). Friday’s forecast predicted winds were at about 23mph (37km/h).
A rescue helicopter and crew was launched from coast guard air station Barbers Point, and additional support was provided by the navy Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37 at Kaneohe Bay. A ccoast guard cutter and crew were also launched from Honolulu. A rescue helicopter and crew was launched from coast guard air station Barbers Point, and additional support was provided by the navy Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37 at Kaneohe Bay. A ccoast guard cutter and crew were also launched from Honolulu. Local fire officials planned to launch their own search efforts. Commercial helicopter companies and ATV crews were also being deployed.
Local fire officials planned to launch their own search efforts. Commercial helicopter companies and ATV crews were also being deployed.
Towering mountains and steep, deep ravines and cliffs line the coast.
“There are beaches along the Na Pali coastline, but we are experiencing periods of very high water, so exactly how much beach may be available I couldn’t tell you,” Muir said.
Helicopter tours are common above the island of Kauai, much of which is made up of remote state parks.Helicopter tours are common above the island of Kauai, much of which is made up of remote state parks.
The helicopter was found in a mountainous region inland from the Na Pali Coast, which is one of the most dramatic and sought-after destinations in Hawaii and was featured in the film Jurassic Park. Towering mountains with deep ravines and huge waterfalls make up the interior of the uninhabited state park. Red rock cliffs with thick jungle canopies rise from the Pacific Ocean to over 4,000ft (1,219 meters) high.
Dan Dennison, a Hawaii department of land and natural resources spokesman who has spent years visiting and photographing the area, said winter brings more rain and turbulent seas.
“During the winter, flash floods frequently close the trail out of safety concerns,” he said. “It has numerous streams that can rise very fast.”
The weather is the primary challenge to any search-and-rescue operation in the area, Dennison said.
“You can have very low ceilings. You can have fog and cloud banks that move in very quickly. You can have heavy rain and strong winds that make flying difficult if not impossible at times,” he said.
The shoreline has beaches that could potentially serve as emergency landing zones, but they are “few and far between”, Dennison said.
And even the beaches that are there would be a tight spot to land a helicopter. Finding a safe place to land in the interior wilderness would be much more difficult, Dennison said, and searching those areas from the air is also a challenge.
“It’s such a vast area with so many ins and outs and pockets of vegetation,” he said. “It’s just really hard to see from the air through the heavy canopy.”