U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Coast Guard
SEARCH CONTINUES FOR CREW OF MISSING HELICOPTER
HOUSTON – The Coast Guard continues to search for three crewmen of a commercial helicopter missing in the Gulf of Mexico since Friday morning.
Petroleum Helicopters Inc. (PHI) notified the Coast Guard around 11:30 a.m. Friday that one of their helicopter crews failed to report in after beginning a landing approach to a rig 70 miles south of Cameron, La. in the West Cameron Block, 509.
At 5:22 p.m. Friday, an offshore supply boat picked up the signal from the missing helicopters radio beacon in the same area where it was last reported. Search crews determined the beacon was transmitting from underwater. An oil sheen and debris from the helicopter were also located in the same area.
The search for the missing crewmen continues.
Crews involved in the search are:
· Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopters, from Air Station Houston
· Coast Guard Cutter Heron, an 87-foot patrol boat from Station Sabine, Texas
· Coast Guard Cutter Manowar, an 87-foot patrol boat from Station Galveston, Texas
· Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon jets, from Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala. and Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas
· Two helicopters owned by PHI
· A sonar boat contracted by PHI
· Divers contracted by PHI
The names of the missing crewmen are being withheld pending notification of next of kin.