NA PALI COAST — An air and sea search operation continued on Saturday, as multiple agencies covered an area off the Na Pali Coast in hopes of finding two of three people who were aboard a helicopter that crashed into the water about one-quarter mile offshore on Thursday.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Kaua‘i Fire Department, Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency, Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, Hawai‘i National Guard, Ocean Safety Bureau and Kaua‘i Police Department took part in the search effort.
The County of Kaua‘i said in a late Saturday afternoon update that search and rescue operations with county assets would be paused at sundown due to the “safety of first responders.” County operations will continue on Sunday.
The Coast Guard searched the area one day earlier with an HC-130 Super Hercules airplane crew, as well as a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, said Commander Kristen Hahn of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu at a press briefing on Friday afternoon at the Kaua‘i Police Department in Lihu‘e.
A 45-foot response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Kaua‘i was also on scene, as well as Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak.
“We are going to continue to remain on scene in this search effort,” said Hahn at the press briefing.
The helicopter went down in an area fronting the Hanakoa Valley, roughly one-quarter mile off the coast, at approximately 1:20 p.m. on Thursday. The helicopter, which was flown by a local pilot, was with Ali‘i Kaua‘i Air Tours and Charters, the Kaua‘i Police Department said.
One body was recovered on Thursday afternoon by Ocean Safety Bureau personnel, said Kaua‘i Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson at the press briefing on Friday.
The identities of the victims will not be released until next of kin are notified. The two passengers are believed to be from the mainland.
A hiker on the Kalalau Trail saw the helicopter crash into the water, and then notified the dispatch center via text message. Local authorities are hoping to make contact with the hiker in order to glean more information about the crash.
