Aircraft Went Down a Quarter Mile Offshore Leaving 1 Dead, 2 Missing

A tourist helicopter operated by Ali’I Kaua’i Air Tours and Charters went into the water about a quarter mile off the Na Pali coast of the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i.

One person died and two are missing in the crash that occurred about 1:20 p.m. local time on July 11. It was reported to Kaua’i Police by two hikers on the Kalalau Trail who saw the aircraft go down. 

Soon after the crash, lifeguards from the Kaua’i Ocean Safety Bureau recovered the body of 53-year-old Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua.

The pilot of the helicopter, 69-year-old Guy Croyden, and the other passenger, 60-year-old James Quintua remain missing. After conducting a search for about 60 hours that covered over 800 square miles, the Coast Guard and County of Kaua’i suspended the search operation on the afternoon of July 14.

Coast Guard Cmdr. Kristen Hahn, search and rescue mission coordinator with Coast Guard Sector Honolulu said, “We would like to thank our Kauai County partners for their professionalism and organization, which have made this unified response very effective. While this event has been a tragedy for both the families and the community, I am reassured that our responders have been able to collect some debris and exhaust our search efforts, which may provide closure for everyone involved.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Guy Croyden, and James and Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua,” said Mayor Derek S. K. Kawakami. “We are truly grateful for the committed efforts of our search and rescue teams, partnering agencies, and community during this operation.”

More than a dozen local first responder agencies and Coast Guard units were involved in the search, and the National Transportation Safety Board will be investigating the cause of the crash.

FMI:  www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/