One person is dead and two others are missing after a Hawaiian tourist helicopter crashed into the ocean off the coast of Kauai, according to authorities.
The Robinson R44 chopper operated by Ali’i Kauai Air Tours & Charters went into the water around 1:20 p.m. Thursday, leading to a search of the Na Pali Coast by the US Coast Guard and local officials.
“Preliminary information indicates that the pilot on board was a local resident, and the two passengers on board are believed to be visitors from the mainland,” Kauai Police Chief Todd Raybuck said at a briefing.
According to the Coast Guard, a hiker on the Kalalau Trail saw the crash and notified authorities.
One body was found in the water hours after the crash, but the two other people on board the doomed craft remain missing.
“On Saturday, multiple agencies continued their search operation,” Kauai police said in a release.
“Search and rescue operations with county assets will be paused at sundown due to the safety of the first responders, and county operations will continue on Sunday.”
With Post wires