US Coast Guard helicopter that crashed during rescue mission in Alaska is recovered

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A helicopter that crashed in southeast Alaska during a rescue mission last month has been recovered, the U.S. Coast Guard said Saturday.

The downed Coast Guard helicopter was recovered Friday and an investigation was ongoing. The MH-60 Jayhawk crashed on Read Island, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of Sitka, on Nov. 13. The four aircrew members were taken to Seattle for treatment after the crash. They have since been released, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard previously described two of the crew members’ injuries as serious.

“We are grateful our four crewmembers were released from Harborview Medical Center and are on the road to recovery,” Coast Guard Capt. Brian McLaughlin, who led recovery efforts, said in a statement. “We are also incredibly thankful to the many people and organizations who helped us recover the aircraft. Getting the helicopter to where our investigators can better examine the wreckage is the next step in the ongoing investigation.”

The crash was reported by the fishing vessel that had been the subject of the helicopter’s search and rescue mission.