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Posted on 07/07/2010 10:41:15 AM PDT by llevrok
LAPUSH, Wash. - A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter with four people on board has gone down near James Island off LaPush.
A member of the Quileute Tribe tells KING 5 that one of the people on board was rescued by two other tribal members. However, there is no official report on the conditions of those on board.
The helicopter was stationed in Sitka, Alaska.
Prayers up. Not a good place to be “missing” out in the water somewhere, even in nice weather.
Curious that the helo is out of Sitka. I wonder what they were doing so far south.
As far as I know, the only CG air station in the area is in Port Angeles. The next closest would be in Astoria, OR. There are many more small boat stations up and down the coast, but they don’t have much in the way of facilities for aircraft.
They’ve updated the story a little bit:
____________________________
by KING 5 News
Posted on July 7, 2010 at 10:11 AM
Updated today at 12:06 PM
LA PUSH, Wash. - A rescue is underway for four people who went down on board a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter that apparently hit some power lines off the Washington coast this morning.
The Coast Guard says the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter went down in the waters near James Island near La Push. The helicopter was departing the Coast Guard station in Astoria, Ore. en route to its home base in Sitka, Alaska. The Coast Guard lost contact with the helicopter at 9:32 a.m.
The Quileute Tribe says some tribal members who were preparing to head out to fish on the ocean pulled two of the Coast Guard members from the water. According to the tribe, one is deceased, but the Coast Guard has not confirmed that. The tribe says the other has a dislocated shoulder and broken leg.
Darryl Penn, the harbormaster at Quileute Marina, tells KING 5 News he saw the chopper go down. Penn says he and his cousin hopped on board a skiff and headed toward a flare the saw fired into the air.
The tribe says a third person was reported to be hanging onto a tank in the water. The fourth person has not yet been found. However, the Coast Guard says the status of those two is unknown.
The Clallam County Public Utilities District says the helicopter hit a power line between La Push and James Island. It’s not clear how low the power line is. PUD says it has de-energized lines near La Push to assist in the rescue.
The Coast Guard has launched helicopters from Astoria and Port Angeles, Wash. and boats from Quillayute, Wash.
Stay with KING 5 News for updates on this developing story. If you have photos of the incident, please e-mail them to newstips@king5.com.
Says the helo was in transit from Astoria back to Sitka.
Hit a power line? There’s a power line out to James island?
There was something airborne in line with and maybe 1/2 mile offshore of the rock on the left about 7-8 minutes ago.
Say WA? Evergreen State ping 2 inflatable boats just left the shore
Apparently a power line strike...eyewitness account from a local (Fresno) talk show host is here:
3rd crew member located:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012298751_apwalapushcoptercrash4thld.html
You are correct, the only actual CG airbase is in PA. There is a pad in Neah Bay.
“The Clallam County Public Utilities District says the helicopter hit a power line between La Push and James Island. “
When I first heard that it went down near James island... I just knew it was because of hitting that damn line.
Dang. And yah know what? Probably all the pilots that fly out of PA and Astoria all know about that wire because they all fly in that area all the time. Local knowledge. But those guys from Sitka probably wouldn't know those kinds of details.
In transit... I'd bet running the shoreline low and fast to make the flight a little more interesting on their way up... and a ~beautiful~ flight it is.
Nuts.
I am guessing you are correct. We have a place on the coast near the Astoria base and see them doing just that quite often heading north.
I’ve ridden in lots of CG helos in the past.
The only people in the world more arrogant and cocky than Naval fighter pilots... are CG helo pilots. And... not without good reason. They’re a pretty spectacular group of people. They really are the best of the best. They go out in stuff that a sane pilot wouldn’t do.
But they’re also crazy b@$tards (God love ‘em). I recall buzzing a cliff line in Alaska at a gonad-shrinking low wave-top altitude, hugging a tree-line just yards from doing the weed-eater thing on the branches of some spruces and all the time hearing the pilot yelling “yeee haaa!!!” on the headphones only to next hear him yell “Eagle!!!” and yank the collective and dive into a turn and chase some poor unsuspecting white-headed national symbol... it was like having a labrador retreiver and yelling “squirrel!!”...
LOL... it still cracks me up. I’m amazed that I survived it.
God love those guys, ‘cuz obviously nobody else does. :-)
Prayers up.
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