7 People Missing In Hawaii After Tour Helicopter Vanished

Safari Helicopter Tours have 30 years of experience under their belts, on Thursday they lost a chopper.

A green and white colored helicopter touring off of Kauai’s Napali Coast carrying 7 people was scheduled to return at 5:21 p.m. At 6:06 p.m. the owner of the helicopter began to worry, rightfully so.

The U.S. Coast Guard are searching for the missing helicopter as I write these words. Robert Cox 1st Class Petty Officer released a statement. “The weather conditions are challenging. We have trained crews responding and on scene searching for any signs of the helicopter and those aboard.”

The chopper is equipped with an electronic locator as of yet no signals have been received.

Kauai is an island located west of Oahu. 80% of the island is uninhabited and the majority of the land is a state park.

The Coast Guard has also reported that rain and clouds are making the rescue operation more difficult. The visibility is around 4 miles and the winds are a blustery 28 mph.

Our thoughts and prayers at IMU Media are focused on the successful recovery of the helicopter and all 7 people aboard. This story is developing so when we know more we will have more for you.

(Cover photo courtesy of NBC, video courtesy of YouTube and CBS, source NBC)