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Medical Helicopter Crash in Southwestern Japan Claims Three Lives
TOKYO – On Monday, the Japan Coast Guard confirmed that a tragic accident involving a medical transport helicopter occurred off the southwestern coast of Japan, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
The helicopter, which was en route from Tsushima Island to a hospital in Fukuoka City, had six people on board during the incident this past Sunday afternoon.
Ryuji Tominaga, the head of the hospital, expressed his sorrow, stating the accident was "incredibly heartbreaking."
After several hours of communication loss, a patrol ship located the six individuals along with the wreckage of the helicopter. Sadly, the 86-year-old patient, her 68-year-old relative, and a 34-year-old physician were found unresponsive and were later pronounced dead by authorities.
The remaining three passengers were discovered clinging to the helicopter, and they were conscious at the time of rescue.
A representative from the helicopter’s operating company noted that both the pilot and mechanic possessed considerable experience and that weather conditions appeared favorable for the flight.
An official investigation will be conducted by Japan’s national Maritime Safety Committee.
According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, this is not the first incident involving this helicopter operator; a previous crash in July of last year resulted in two fatalities when another helicopter had an emergency landing in a Fukuoka area field.
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