Coast Guard copter crash: 1 dead, 3 missing

(CBS/AP)

MOBILE, Ala. - The U.S. Coast Guard says one crewmember is dead and three others remain missing following a helicopter crash in Alabama during a training mission.

Spokeswoman Petty Officer 2nd Class Elizabeth Bordelon says an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crashed Tuesday evening in Mobile Bay, near Point Clear, Ala. The Coast Guard initially said one person had been rescued but a news release issued early Wednesday said a crewmember was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead.

Bordelon says the MH-65C helicopter was on a mission out of the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Ala. The three missing are Coast Guard members.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

The Coast Guard says two helicopters, an airplane and several vessels are involved in the search for the missing crewmembers.

CBS affiliate WKRG-TV reported Tuesday night that the area involved had been placed under a dense fog warning. Although the fog had yet to arrive, it could end up hampering rescue efforts.
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