HANALEI, Kauai (KHON) – Three people have died after a tourist helicopter crashed off the coast of a beach on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Officials said the helicopter crashed on a sandbar off Kalalau Beach around 3:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 26. The beach is on the Na Pali Coast on Kauai’s north shore, in an area generally only reachable only by hiking or boat.
Officials said that the helicopter was carrying one pilot and four passengers. Kauai County confirmed that three people died as a result of the crash, while two others are being treated at a hospital.
Footage from the scene obtained by Nexstar’s KHON showed rescue crews and bystanders gathered at the scene after the crash. A news release from the Coast Guard also noted that a number of “good Samaritans” responded to the incident…