Two Victims Identified in Fatal Helicopter Tour Crash in Hawaii
Two victims were identified in a helicopter crash that killed three people on the Hawaiian island of Kauai last week. Here is the latest on the investigation into the deadly incident off a remote area of the Kauai coastline.
Three People Confirmed Dead After Helicopter Crash in Kauai
Three people died last Thursday when a helicopter carrying one pilot and four passengers crashed into the water near a remote beach on Kauai's North Shore. Local officials confirmed that the crash happened just off the coastline of Kalalau Beach, an area frequently used by hikers heading out on the popular Kalalau Trail.
Kauai law enforcement said that the regional dispatch received a text-to-911 report at approximately 3:45 pm on Thursday. In addition to the three fatalities, two survivors were transported to Wilcox Medical Center for treatment. As of Monday, the patients were still hospitalized.
Police identified 65-year-old Margaret Rimmler and 59-year-old Patrick Haskell as two of the fatalities. Both victims are from Massachusetts. A third victim, a 40-year-old woman, has not been identified by name pending next-of-kin notification.
Kauai Fire Chief Michael Gibson confirmed that the aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-500 helicopter operated by Airborne Aviation. Gibson said that his rescue crews realized quickly that it would be a complex and difficult operation to reach the victims, largely due to the remoteness of the crash site. Bystanders were able to administer CPR until responders were able to reach the scene. Officials said that there were about 10 campers on the beach when the helicopter went down.
Other helicopter tour operators assisted in the rescue effort. Jack Harter Helicopters was able to send up a chopper to fly by the scene to verify who was in the water. In addition, Blue Hawaiian was able to land one of its helicopters on the beach to provide help.
The MD-500 departed Lihue Airport at about 3:13 pm on Thursday, spending just 32 minutes in the air before going down. The pilot reportedly tried to bring the helicopter closer to the shoreline before it made impact with the water, landing on a sandbar approximately 100 yards offshore.
The first crew to arrive on the scene was a group of ocean safety officers from the North Shore jet ski team. This crew launched from the Hanalei area of the North Shore, encountering rain, wind, and rough sea conditions when they tried to reach the victims.
The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources sent personnel to the scene on Friday to clear the beach so that recovery operations could continue. Local authorities wanted to keep the area clear so that the wreckage could safely be removed from the water.
FAA and NTSB Onsite for Investigation
The Kalalau Trail had to be closed to hikers in some sections due to the investigation. In addition, Airborne Aviation announced that it was suspending operations until they are certain that flights can continue safely. Doug Froning, Airborne Aviation's director of operations, said that one chopper in its fleet was being used to support the accident investigation and recovery of the wreckage. However, the rest of the fleet has been grounded indefinitely.
Froning would not speculate on possible causes of the accident. He said that the investigation was just getting started and did not want to simply guess at this point in the process.
Crews worked throughout the day on Friday to remove the aircraft from the ocean. Investigators from both the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) arrived over the weekend to assist in the attempt to understand what caused the accident.
All other details about the investigation are being kept close to the vest in an effort to protect the privacy of the victims. Law enforcement officials also noted that they wanted to protect the integrity of the investigation.
Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami thanked rescue crews for working hard to reach the remote area. Kawakami would not comment on whether the county would reevaluate its helicopter tourism business, instead leaving that decision up to the FAA.
This is not the first time that a helicopter tour has crashed in Kauai. A helicopter crash off the Nā Pali Coast in the same general area as last week’s tragedy killed two passengers and the pilot in 2024.
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