Six Dead As Wreckage Of Hawaii Helicopter Is Found

The remains of six people have been found after a helicopter crashed at the top of a mountain on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, authorities have said.

The helicopter was carrying seven people, touring Kauai’s rugged Napali coast. Officials said there were no signs of survivors.

A search for the final passenger would resume later on Saturday, depending on the weather, authorities added.

Those who were recovered have not been identified and their families are being notified, authorities said.

The nationalities of the passengers, reportedly two families, were not immediately known.

Two of the passengers are believed to have been minors, the Coast Guard said.

According to the agency, the aircraft encountered showers and high gusts of wind while touring Kauai. It was reported missing by the operator, identified as Safari Helicopters, at 18:06 local time on Thursday (04:06 GMT Friday), 40 minutes after it was due to land.

Steep terrain, low visibility, choppy seas and rain hampered the search for the wreckage, the Coast Guard said.

Robert Cox of the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Command Centre in Honolulu said the weather conditions had been challenging. Winds on Friday were reported to be about 28mph (45km/h).

No signals were recorded from the aircraft’s electronic locator after it went missing.

Several tour companies make such helicopter visits to Kauai, much of which is a state park and which is 80% uninhabited.