HONOLULU — Authorities have released the names of two men who are missing after a helicopter they were in disappeared off the northwest coast of Molokai. ADVERTISING HONOLULU — Authorities have released the names of two men who are missing
HONOLULU — Authorities have released the names of two men who are missing after a helicopter they were in disappeared off the northwest coast of Molokai.
Rescue crews are searching for 27-year-old Jeremy Dossetter and 25-year-old Oliver Kirsch, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported . The helicopter they were in disappeared Monday night.
Molokai resident Tim Emmanuel said he saw a red blinking light descend quickly toward the ocean while fishing that night.
At first, Emmanuel thought it was a drone, he said. But after learning that two men were reported missing, he went to the Hoolehua Fire Station and told the fire captain what he witnessed at the bay.
The U.S. Coast Guard, Navy and Maui Fire Department are conducting the search. The company whose helicopter they were in, Mauna Loa Helicopters, is assisting with the search.
The two men were aboard the helicopter for flight training when they left Honolulu and were heading back to Oahu when the airport’s control tower lost communications.
The Coast Guard spotted debris about 1.5 miles off of the island’s northwest coast, but the agency could not confirm whether it was from the missing aircraft.
An uninflated yellow vest was also found about 100 yards off of Ilio Point. Crews recovered the vest and turned it to over to police.
