Close X
Saturday, October 5, 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

    B.C. New Democrats Enter Convention Ready To Ride The Wave Of Change

    VANCOUVER — Eight hundred card-carrying members of B.C.'s New Democratic Party are gathering in Vancouver for the party's annual convention.

    B.C. New Democrats Enter Convention Ready To Ride The Wave Of Change

    Canadian Man Sentenced To 6 Years For Travelling To Washington For Sex With Teen

    Canadian Man Sentenced To 6 Years For Travelling To Washington For Sex With Teen
    Tyler Beavis was arrested after school officials discovered he was chatting with a 14-year-old female student on her school computer

    Canadian Man Sentenced To 6 Years For Travelling To Washington For Sex With Teen

    Early Morning Violence Near Downtown Vancouver Leaves One Man Dead

    Early Morning Violence Near Downtown Vancouver Leaves One Man Dead
    Const. Brian Montague confirms an unidentified man was found unconscious and covered in blood not far from the city's bus station.

    Early Morning Violence Near Downtown Vancouver Leaves One Man Dead

    Teenager Killed, Young Man Severely Injured In South Vancouver Collision

    Teenager Killed, Young Man Severely Injured In South Vancouver Collision
    The 54-year-old driver lost control after hitting the pedestrians and her vehicle slammed into a power pole and a bus stop before coming to a stop.

    Teenager Killed, Young Man Severely Injured In South Vancouver Collision

    Dawson Creek RCMP Work To Connect Two Violent Attacks In Northern B.C.

    Dawson Creek RCMP Work To Connect Two Violent Attacks In Northern B.C.
    RCMP say no one was hurt Wednesday when three shotgun rounds were fired into a home, which has been seized while police conduct an investigation.

    Dawson Creek RCMP Work To Connect Two Violent Attacks In Northern B.C.

    Charges Expected Against Man Who Leaped Into Icy Water From B.C. Ferry

    Charges Expected Against Man Who Leaped Into Icy Water From B.C. Ferry
    A man is in police custody and is being assessed at a Victoria hospital after a bizarre series of events that began when he jumped off a B.C. ferry.

    Charges Expected Against Man Who Leaped Into Icy Water From B.C. Ferry