Medical Helicopter Crashes Into Sea Off Japan, Killing 3 While 3 Are Rescued

Medical Helicopter Crashes Into Sea Off Japan, Killing 3 While 3 Are Rescued
Rescuers work near people aboard a medical transport helicopter after it fell into the sea in southwestern Japan on April 6, 2025. The 7th Regional Japan Coast Guard Headquarters via AP
The Associated Press
Updated:

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.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation, the coast guard said Monday.