No one survived copter crash
Chopper carrying tourists down in Kauai
Authorities in Hawaii have confirmed there were no survivors of a helicopter crash Thursday, and recovery efforts have been suspended.
The Kauai Police Department had identified the pilot of the tour helicopter, which crashed as it was set to tour the island’s Na Pali Coast, as well as two of the helicopter’s passengers. Pilot Paul Matero, 69, and passengers Amy Gannon, 47, and Jocelyn Gannon, 13, of Madison, Wisconsin, were identified Saturday.
Police confirmed the deaths of the remaining passengers, believed to be a family from Switzerland, in a statement Saturday. The members of the family were identified as 50-year-old woman, 49-year-old man and two girls, 13 and 10 years old, though their names have not yet been released.
The National Transportation Safety Board has taken over the investigation, police said.
“We offer our continued condolences and prayers to the families and friends of the victims,” said Kauai police Assistant Chief Bryson Ponce in a Facebook post. “As we continue to search for and recover evidence pertinent to this tragic helicopter crash, we hope to bring some sense of closure to the loved ones of the victims.”
The remains of six people were found at the site of the crash on Friday, Kauai police wrote in a Facebook post.
Officials were informed Thursday evening of a helicopter from Safari Helicopters that had not returned at its scheduled time, Kauai police said.
Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, on Friday said, “Tour helicopter and small aircraft operations are not safe, and innocent lives are paying the price.”