Close X
Saturday, September 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Canadian Teenager Dies After Pearl Harbor Helicopter Crash

The Canadian Press, 23 Feb, 2016 10:09 AM
    HONOLULU — A 16-year-old passenger died Monday after being injured last week in a Pearl Harbor helicopter crash, hospital officials said.
     
    The teen and three family members visiting from Canada were aboard a tour helicopter when it crashed into the water near the Pearl Harbor Visitors Center on Thursday.
     
    Their names have not been released.
     
    Two family members remain hospitalized in stable condition. Another was treated and released.
     
    "So that the 16-year-old's memory lives on, the family has chosen to donate his organs to patients in need," Gidget Ruscetta, chief operating officer at Pali Momi Medical Center, said in a statement.
     
    No information was available for the pilot, who was taken to another hospital.
     
    Federal agencies are investigating the crash.
     
    The boy was trapped underwater and had to be cut free from his seat, according to witnesses.
     
    Federal records show the helicopter is registered to Jeffrey Gebhard of Kailua, Hawaii. The Navy said the helicopter reportedly belongs to Genesis Aviation. The website for Genesis Helicopters says it was founded by Gebhard and conducts tours over Oahu.
     
     
     
    A call to Gebhard was not answered on Monday. A man who answered at a number listed for him last week declined comment, citing the investigation.
     
    Civilian divers floated the helicopter to the surface Friday and a crane pulled it out. The Navy said the aircraft was taken to Genesis Aviation's hangar at the airport, where the National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation.
     
    It was the second major crash this year involving helicopters on Oahu.
     
    Twelve Hawaii-based Marines were killed when two military helicopters crashed during nighttime training on Jan. 14. Both aircraft were CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters that were part of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463.
     
    Shawn Winrich, visiting from Madison, Wisconsin, was taking photos of Pearl Harbor when he saw the helicopter headed toward the popular tourist destination.
     
    He switched to video, recording the helicopter's dramatic drop into the water.
     
    "All of a sudden it essentially just fell out of the sky and crash-landed in the water," he said last week.
     
    He stopped filming and jumped in to help.
     
    The Honolulu Emergency Services Department took the teen to the hospital in critical condition.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Police Team Worried About Raising Suspicions Of Terror Suspect's Wife Amanda Korody: Officer

      RCMP Sgt. Bill Kalkat has told B.C. Supreme Court that the wives of police targets are often more "switched on" and suspicious of newcomers than the targets themselves.

    Police Team Worried About Raising Suspicions Of Terror Suspect's Wife Amanda Korody: Officer

    Construction Safety Still A Concern, 35 Years After Fatal Accident: BC Fed

    Construction Safety Still A Concern, 35 Years After Fatal Accident: BC Fed
    The B.C. Federation of Labour says workers are safer than they were 35 years ago when four men died in a construction accident in downtown Vancouver

    Construction Safety Still A Concern, 35 Years After Fatal Accident: BC Fed

    Abbotsford Police Perseverance Leads To Arrest And Charge In 1999 Sexual Assault

    The attack happened on Aug. 7, 1999, when a 37-year-old woman was sexually assaulted, choked and threatened shortly after leaving a large, outdoor party

    Abbotsford Police Perseverance Leads To Arrest And Charge In 1999 Sexual Assault

    Vancouver Cyclist Dies On Seawall After Being Hit By An Object Thrown From Garbage Bin

    Vancouver Cyclist Dies On Seawall After Being Hit By An Object Thrown From Garbage Bin
    The unnamed cyclist passed a trash bin just as another man was rummaging through it, tossing items out while continuing his search.

    Vancouver Cyclist Dies On Seawall After Being Hit By An Object Thrown From Garbage Bin

    Sting On Couple Guilty Of Terror Charges Not Meant To Seem Illegal: Officer

    An undercover terrorism sting involved thousands of dollars changing hands and officers claiming access to guns and explosives, but the lead officer insisted repeatedly in court on Wednesday that the operation was in no way meant to appear criminal.

    Sting On Couple Guilty Of Terror Charges Not Meant To Seem Illegal: Officer

    Separate Terrace Homicides In 2011, 2015, Produce Charge Recommendations

    Separate Terrace Homicides In 2011, 2015, Produce Charge Recommendations
    RCMP in Terrace B.C., are recommending charges after wrapping up separate investigations into fatalities around that northwestern B.C. city.

    Separate Terrace Homicides In 2011, 2015, Produce Charge Recommendations