Re: Coast Guard crash
CNN) -- A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crashed Wednesday off Alaska's Aleutian Islands while attempting to rescue crew members from a derelict Malaysian-flagged cargo ship, dumping 10 people into the frigid waters of the northern Pacific Ocean, a Coast Guard spokesman said.<br /><br />According to Cmdr. Jeff Carter, an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter had already evacuated 18 of the 26-member crew from the Selendang Ayu when it went down near Unalaska Island.<br /><br />"Another helicopter (HH-65 Dolphin) from the Coast Guard cutter Alex Haley, which is on scene, picked up four people and have taken them to Dutch Harbor for medical treatment, their condition is unknown," a Coast Guard statement said. "Six people are still unaccounted for."<br /><br />It's believed four of the people on board the helicopter that crashed were Coast Guard rescuers.<br /><br />Conditions in the area are turbulent with 35-knot winds and 5-foot seas with swells to 20 feet, according to Carter.<br /><br />The 738 foot-long Selendang Ayu, carrying soybeans, lost power to its main engine Tuesday and has since broken in two, near fertile fisheries and a sea lion habitat. The ship has 500,000 gallons of fuel on board and authorities are concerned about a possible spill.
