TOKYO—A medical transport helicopter fell into the sea in southwestern Japan, killing the patient and two other people, the Japan coast guard said.
The pilot, Hiroshi Hamada, 66; Kazuto Yoshitake, a helicopter mechanic and a 28-year-old nurse, Sakura Kunitake, were rescued by the coast guard after they were found in the waters clinging to inflatable lifesavers.
Yoshitake’s first name was initially given with a different spelling, but the coast guard corrected it later.
The bodies of medical doctor, Kei Arakawa, 34; Mitsuki Motoishi, 86, the patient, and her caretaker Kazuyoshi Motoishi, 68, were later recovered by a Japan Air Self-Defense Force helicopter.
The coast guard deployed two planes and three ships to the area as part of the rescue operation.
The helicopter was heading to a hospital in Fukuoka from an airport in Nagasaki prefecture when it crashed, according to the coast guard.
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The cause of the accident remains under investigation, the coast guard said Monday.
