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.
They’ve updated the story a little bit:
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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.