(LibertyInsider.org) – Hawaii’s splendor often inspires visitors to seek helicopter tours of the vistas, allowing them to see places that might otherwise be difficult to reach on foot and giving them unique views only possible from the air. Yet, helicopter tours can also carry risks. On Thursday, June 11, hikers reported seeing a helicopter crash into the ocean off the island of Kaua’i.
Around 1:20 p.m. on Thursday, people hiking on the Kalalau Trail called emergency services to report seeing a helicopter crash into the ocean along the Na Pali coast, about a quarter mile from the shore. The incident involved a Robinson R44 helicopter belonging to Ali’i Kaua’i Air Tours and Charters.
A helicopter crash 1/4 mile off Kauaiʻs Nā Pali coast claimed the life of one person as responders continue searching the area for two more.https://t.co/SJKKB8HJ2W
— KHON2 News (@KHONnews) July 13, 2024
Local Kaua’i lifeguards used personal watercraft to reach the scene first. They recovered Amy Quintua, 53, of Union, Kentucky, from the water. Sadly, she was unresponsive, and they couldn’t revive her. Her husband, James “Jim” Quintua, 60, and the pilot, 69-year-old Guy Croyden, remained missing.
The Coast Guard immediately launched a search for the men in association with local and state partners, including Kaua’i county agencies like the Fire and Police Departments, Emergency Management Agency, and the Ocean Safety Bureau, which manages Kaua’i’s lifeguards. However, after searching fruitlessly for more than 60 hours and covering over 830 square miles of search area, the Coast Guard called off the search at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 14.
Coast Guard Cmdr. Kristen Hahn thanked local and state partners for their professional participation in the operation. She expressed her hopes that the extensive search and responders’ finds of some of the debris might “provide closure” in the tragedy for family members, loved ones, and the community.
Kaua’i County Mayor Derek Kawakami thanked search and recovery teams from his community and partnering agencies. He expressed the community’s sympathies for the Quintua and Croyden families.
On behalf of the state, Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke extended her “deepest condolences to the ʻohana and loved ones of those involved in this tragic accident.” The Hawaiian term ‘ohana refers to family. She bid “Mahalo nui loa to Mayor Kawakami […] and the rescue teams,” praising their selfless efforts. The Hawaiian phrase “mahalo nui loa” translates to giving deep gratitude and respect to someone.
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