LA PUSH, Wash., July 7 (UPI) -- Three crew members were killed and one was injured Wednesday when a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crashed off the coast of Washington state, the Coast Guard said.
Adm. Robert Papp, the Coast Guard's commandant, announced the crash in a statement posted on the military branch's official Web site. He said the helicopter -- identified as CG6017 with a crew of four from Air Station Sitka, Alaska -- crashed near La Push, Wash., while in transit from Astoria, Ore., to Sitka.
"A multi-agency search and rescue effort located the four crew members; one was severely injured and three were deceased," Papp said.
The names of the crew members were withheld pending notification of their families.
"We will conduct an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the mishap to determine the cause and help prevent future incidents," Papp said. "CG6017 salvage and recovery efforts are under way."
Papp said he had directed operational commanders "to conduct a safety stand down for every air station in the Coast Guard."
