Close X
Sunday, September 29, 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

    Slumping Loonie Could Add $3.5 Billion To Cost Of Windsor-Detroit Bridge, Trudeau Told

    Slumping Loonie Could Add $3.5 Billion To Cost Of Windsor-Detroit Bridge, Trudeau Told
    OTTAWA — The federal Liberal government will need to find $3.5 billion more to pay for a new bridge at the bustling border crossing between Canada and the United States.

    Slumping Loonie Could Add $3.5 Billion To Cost Of Windsor-Detroit Bridge, Trudeau Told

    Alberta Judge Calls For Better Gun Licence Screening In Wake Of Fatal RCMP Shooting

    Alberta Judge Calls For Better Gun Licence Screening In Wake Of Fatal RCMP Shooting
    Corey Lewis, who was 39, was shot outside his Okotoks home on July 2010 after a standoff with a Mountie tactical team.

    Alberta Judge Calls For Better Gun Licence Screening In Wake Of Fatal RCMP Shooting

    B.C. Hydro Orders Protesters Off Land Slated For Logging Near Site C Dam

    B.C. Hydro Orders Protesters Off Land Slated For Logging Near Site C Dam
      The notice was issued Dec. 31, giving demonstrators 24 hours to leave the Rocky Mountain Fort area on the south bank of the river, just a few kilometres south of Fort St. John.

    B.C. Hydro Orders Protesters Off Land Slated For Logging Near Site C Dam

    More Visitors, More Costs: Fees Going Up To Visit Saskatchewan Provincial Parks

    More Visitors, More Costs: Fees Going Up To Visit Saskatchewan Provincial Parks
    The government says there were a record 3.9 million visits to the parks last year and costs to maintain services are rising.

    More Visitors, More Costs: Fees Going Up To Visit Saskatchewan Provincial Parks

    Turning Off E-mail App On Phone Can Make You Happier

    Turning Off E-mail App On Phone Can Make You Happier
    E-mail can simultaneously be a great communication tool and a source of frustration and stress, the findings showed.

    Turning Off E-mail App On Phone Can Make You Happier

    PM Trudeau Supports Seamus O'Regan After He Announces Decision To Go Into Wellness Program

    PM Trudeau Supports Seamus O'Regan After He Announces Decision To Go Into Wellness Program
    OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is lending his support to Liberal MP Seamus O'Regan after the rookie politician said he had entered a wellness program to adopt "an alcohol free lifestyle."

    PM Trudeau Supports Seamus O'Regan After He Announces Decision To Go Into Wellness Program