A medical helicopter crashed into the sea off southwest Japan, resulting in the deaths of three people, including a patient, according to the Japanese Coast Guard.
Rescue teams managed to save pilot Hiroshi Hamada, 66, helicopter mechanic Kazuto Yoshitaki, and nurse Sakura Konitaki, 28.
They were found floating in the water, clinging to inflatable life rings.
Coast Guard officials reported that all three survivors were suffering from hypothermia but remained conscious.
Initially, there was a spelling error in Yoshitaki’s first name, which the Coast Guard later corrected.
The bodies of Dr. Kei Arakawa, 34, patient Mitsuki Motoishi, 86, and the patient’s companion Kazuyoshi Motoishi, 68, were recovered later by a Japanese Air Self-Defense Force helicopter.
The Coast Guard deployed two aircraft and three vessels to the area as part of the rescue operation.
The helicopter was en route from an airport in Nagasaki Prefecture to a hospital in Fukuoka when the crash occurred, according to Coast Guard statements.
Authorities confirmed on Monday that investigations into the cause of the crash are still ongoing.
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