EDMONDS — The U.S. Coast Guard has located the wreckage of a medivac helicopter early this morning off the Edmonds coastline.
The bodies of a pilot and two flight nurses aboard the Airlift Northwest helicopter have also been located.
The helicopter disappeared sometime overnight. Dispatchers reported losing contact with the helicopter about 9 p.m. The helicopter was returning to Arlington Municipal Airport from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Edmonds residents in the 8400 block of Talbot Road reported hearing a crash sometime about 9:13 p.m.., according to Edmonds Sgt. Jeff Jones. Edmonds police and Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies searched the beach and wooded area along the north shoreline of Edmonds while the U.S. Coast Guard searched the water.
The wreckage was discovered at about 1:30 a.m., a mile offshore. The debris field was about one-quarter mile wide and one-half mile long, according to Jones. Authorities were able to confirm that the debris belonged to the missing aircraft after locating papers and pieces from the helicopter.
Seattle-based Airlift Northwest provides air transport for critically ill or injured patients with helicopters based in Arlington, Seattle, Bellingham and Puyallup.
The Coast Guard and the Bainbridge Island Police Marine Unit are collecting the wreckage to turn over to Edmonds police. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner has not released the names of the helicopter crew.
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