NA PALI COAST — An air and sea search for two people, who were aboard a tour helicopter that crashed into the ocean on Thursday, July 11, has been suspended.
The U.S. Coast Guard and County of Kaua‘i ended the search effort at 2 p.m. Sunday, or roughly three days after the helicopter crashed off the Na Pali Coast.
The crash claimed the life of Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua, 53, whose body was recovered by Ocean Safety Bureau lifeguards on Thursday afternoon, the Coast Guard and County of Kaua‘i said in an incident update on Sunday.
Missing are Guy Croydon, 69, who was the pilot of the helicopter, and James Quintua, 60, who was one of the passengers.
Search and rescue crews from local, state and federal agencies covered more than 830 square miles over approximately 60 hours looking for the missing people.
“We would like to thank our Kaua‘i County partners for their professionalism and organization, which have made this unified response very effective,” said Coast Guard Commander Kristen Hahn, who is the search and rescue coordinator with Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, in a statement that accompanied the incident update.
“While this event has been a tragedy for both the families and the community, I am reassured that our responders have been able to collect some debris and exhaust our search efforts, which may provide closure for everyone involved.”
The helicopter went down in an area fronting Hanakoa Valley, roughly 440 yards off the coast, at approximately 1:20 p.m. on Thursday. The helicopter was with Ali‘i Kaua‘i Air Tours and Charters, the Kaua‘i Police Department said.
A hiker on the Kalalau Trail saw the helicopter crash into the water, and then notified local authorities via text message, in turn setting off the massive search effort.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Guy Croyden, and James and Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami in a statement that accompanied the incident update.
“We are truly grateful for the committed efforts of our search and rescue teams, partnering agencies, and community during this operation.”
The agencies involved in the search effort were Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, Coast Guard District 14, Coast Guard Station Kaua‘i, Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak and Coast Guard Regional Dive Locker Pacific.
The Kaua‘i Fire Department, Kaua‘i Police Department, Kaua‘i Ocean Safety Bureau, Hawai‘i National Guard, Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency, Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency and Life’s Bridges Hawai‘i were also involved in the search effort.
The National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the cause of the crash.
