Close X
Monday, October 7, 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

    'Take Me Out To The Polling Station;' Blue Jays Win Throws Curve At Federal Election

    'Take Me Out To The Polling Station;' Blue Jays Win Throws Curve At Federal Election
    TORONTO — The federal election is dealing with a late curveball hurled by the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays.

    'Take Me Out To The Polling Station;' Blue Jays Win Throws Curve At Federal Election

    UBC Violated Professor's Academic Freedom After Blog Post: Probe

    UBC Violated Professor's Academic Freedom After Blog Post: Probe
     A senior official at the University of British Columbia has stepped down after a retired judge found that UBC failed to protect a professor's academic freedom after she wrote a critical blog post.

    UBC Violated Professor's Academic Freedom After Blog Post: Probe

    Damien Taylor Man Found Guilty Of Second Degree Murder Of Pregnant Teenaged Girlfriend CJ Fowler

    Damien Taylor Man Found Guilty Of Second Degree Murder Of Pregnant Teenaged Girlfriend CJ Fowler
    Twenty-four-year-old Damien Taylor has been convicted of the second degree murder of 16-year-old CJ Fowler.

    Damien Taylor Man Found Guilty Of Second Degree Murder Of Pregnant Teenaged Girlfriend CJ Fowler

    Crown Stays Prosecution Against Cranbrook, B.C. Mountie Accused Of Firearm Offence

    Crown Stays Prosecution Against Cranbrook, B.C. Mountie Accused Of Firearm Offence
    The charge against RCMP Const. Richard Drought arose from an Oct. 2, 2012 investigation into a carjacking complaint and police chase near Cranbrook, B.C.

    Crown Stays Prosecution Against Cranbrook, B.C. Mountie Accused Of Firearm Offence

    Safety Expert Calls For Awareness After Alberta Sisters Suffocate In Canola Grain Truck

    Glen Blahey with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association says it may look like fun to jump in a pile of tiny grains or seeds — but it can be deadly.

    Safety Expert Calls For Awareness After Alberta Sisters Suffocate In Canola Grain Truck

    No Bell On Bicycle Turns Into 20 Charges For Edmonton Man

    No Bell On Bicycle Turns Into 20 Charges For Edmonton Man
    Police say they gave him a false name, so he was arrested for obstruction of justice.

    No Bell On Bicycle Turns Into 20 Charges For Edmonton Man