Teen in Oahu chopper crash died of brain damage, drowning

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HONOLULU (AP) — The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office says a Canadian teenager killed in a tour helicopter crash in Pearl Harbor earlier this month died of brain damage from drowning.

HONOLULU (AP) — The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office says a Canadian teenager killed in a tour helicopter crash in Pearl Harbor earlier this month died of brain damage from drowning.

Witnesses said 16-year-old Riley Dobson of Guelph, Ontario, was trapped inside the helicopter after the Feb. 18 crash. He had to be cut free from his seat. He died at a hospital four days later.

The medical examiner’s office said Monday Dobson suffered brain damage from a lack of oxygen.

Two other passengers and the pilot were seriously injured. One passenger suffered minor injuries.

A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board last week said the pilot felt a vibration then heard a grinding noise and a loud bang before the crash. The helicopter was submerged in about 40 feet of water.