Helicopter Crashes Near Pearl Harbor Memorial, 1 in Critical Condition

The Coast Guard said five people were aboard the helicopter Thursday.

A 16-year-old boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition while two adults, a man and woman, were reported to be in stable condition.

As it got closer to the water, she saw some dark some coming out of the back of the helicopter, and it started shaking slightly. It slows then suddenly falls into the water, short of the land’s edge, then it rolls upside-down in the water.

Tours in the vicinity have been cancelled.

The Navy says that five passengers were safely recovered after the civilian helicopter went down in the waters of Pearl Harbor at about 10:30 a.m. today in the area near the Ford Island bridge and the National Park Service Pearl Harbor Visitor Center.

“All five personnel safely ashore and being assessed for medical concerns”, the agency’s Hawaii Pacific headquarters said in a tweet.

“My initial reaction was, ‘This helicopter is kinda low flying.’ It then hovered for a sec and then started to descend”, witness Roy Gano said in an email to KGMB-TV.

Bystanders reportedly dove into the water to free passengers from the wreckage. “It was not spinning out of control, but it was dropping at a good rate. I saw people dive into the water to help”.

Dramatic video shows the helicopter plunging into the water, and witnesses shouting as they saw the chopper crash.