Update: Four crew members with the United States Coast Guard were injured in the helicopter crash, the Associated Press reported. The report noted that the chopper crashed in a sparsely populated area near Harbor Mountain.
The four crew members were rushed to the nearby Mt. Edgecumbe Medical Center, the US Coast Guard said in a statement. The statement added that it is unclear how badly the crew members were injured but confirmed that no one died in the tragic crash.
“We are incredibly relieved our crew members survived with only minor injuries,” Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the Coast Guard’s Arctic District, was quoted saying in the statement. “We are grateful for the swift response by the Sitka Fire and Rescue who assisted us during this critical time.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and no details regarding the same have been released.
Original Story: A helicopter with the US Coast Guard has gone down in Alaska's Sitka on Monday afternoon, the US Coast Guard confirmed in a post on social media. The post said that the helicopter crash involved a MH-60 Jayhawk chopper, and first responders are at the scene.
{{/usCountry}}Original Story: A helicopter with the US Coast Guard has gone down in Alaska's Sitka on Monday afternoon, the US Coast Guard confirmed in a post on social media. The post said that the helicopter crash involved a MH-60 Jayhawk chopper, and first responders are at the scene.
{{/usCountry}}No details regarding how many crew members were on board the aircraft have been released by the US Coast Guard, as of now.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is actively responding to a reported crash involving a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter that occurred today in Sitka, Alaska. First responders and search and rescue assets are currently responding,” the update read. "The safety, well-being, and rescue of our crew members."
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“Is our absolute, immediate priority,” a follow-up stated. “The cause of the incident is not yet known. A formal investigation will be conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the event.”
Sitka is a coastal city on the west side of Baranof Island in southeastern Alaska, along the Gulf of Alaska. It lies about 95 miles southwest of Juneau and is accessible primarily by air or ferry.