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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Tour helicopter carrying 7 people goes missing off Hawaii coast |
| 2019-12-27 |
| HONOLULU (AP) ‐ A tour helicopter with seven people aboard disappeared in Hawaii, and a search is underway, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The owner of the helicopter 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 news release said. The helicopter has an electronic locator, but no signals had been received, according to the bulletin. The helicopter was carrying a pilot and six passengers, two of whom were believed to be minors, the release said. "The weather conditions are challenging," said Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Cox, Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu. "We have trained crews responding and on scene searching for any signs of the helicopter and those aboard." According to the release, clouds and rain at the scene rendered visibility at 4 miles (6.4 kilometers), with winds at 28 mph (45 kph). Friday's forecast predicted winds at around 23 mph (37 kph). A helicopter and crew was launched from Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, and additional support was provided by the U.S. Navy Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 37 at Kaneohe Bay. A Coast Guard cutter and crew were also launched from Honolulu. Further searches with a search-and-rescue airplane and crew and fresh helicopter crew were scheduled for first light, if necessary. According to the release, helicopter tours are common above the island of Kauai, much of which is a state park. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #5 7 is a lot of people for a tour helicopter even if two are minors. 7 is also exactly the number stranded on Gilligans island which is an odd coincidence. |
| Posted by: ruprecht 2019-12-27 16:57 |
| #4 Kaua'i seemed to lose about 1 every two years or so when I lived there..... |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2019-12-27 11:51 |
| #3 Some of the gusts coming in from the north (Na Pali Coast side) can be pretty strong, especially if it's windy already. Many of the smaller 'tour copters' might have real problems with those. A good tour company would ground their birds in such conditions but hey, it's all about the tourist cash. |
| Posted by: Mullah Richard 2019-12-27 08:55 |
| #2 People just don't pay attention. No three hour tours! Never. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2019-12-27 08:20 |
| #1 Surely an anomaly. Hawaiian helo tours have an impeccable safety record. [sarc off] |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2019-12-27 08:07 |