Chopper Makes Emergency Landing In Gulf

A crash and rescue Thursday night off the coast of Dauphin Island. The U.S. Coast Guard tells News 5 that a chopper carrying oil rig workers had to make an emergency landing in the gulf around 6:15 p.m. Several boaters helped the four passengers and took them to a platform. A Coast Guard crew finished the rescue. All of the passengers were taken to a New Orleans hospital to get checked out.

Here is the entire release from the U.S. Coast Guard:

The Coast Guard transported four passengers from an oil platform after their helicopter went down in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 57 miles south of Dauphin Island, Ala., Thursday, June 11, 2009.

The Coast Guard received a call from Rotorcraft Inc. at approximately 6:15 p.m., Thursday, reporting that the Bell Helicopter 206L-1 carrying four passengers had to make an emergency landing in the water due to mechanical failures. Several Good Samaritans assisted the four passengers to the Main Pass 265 platform, and the offshore supply vessel Lafayette placed the downed helicopter in tow.

The Coast Guard launched a MH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station New Orleans to transport the uninjured passengers to West Jefferson Hospital in New Orleans as a precautionary measure.

The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct an investigation.