TUSCUMBIA, Ala. — A helicopter conducting an aerial search for a missing hunter crashed in thick woods early Sunday, killing all three people onboard moments after they had found the man.
The cause of the crash was under investigation, said Jeff Davis, a manager of Air Evac EMS of West Plains, Mo., the company that owns the aircraft.
The helicopter crew had spotted the hunter, and the crash occurred as the aircraft was hovering over him, said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Warren Woodberry.
The hunter was eventually rescued. Colbert County Sheriff Ronnie May said the hunter had disappeared after dark Saturday in the Freedom Hills Wildlife Management Area, a 31,572-acre state hunting preserve.
The hunter was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening, the sheriff said.
Arizona: People hidden in truck
Authorities on Sunday found 37 suspected illegal immigrants concealed in a truck near Phoenix, some hiding behind pallets of bell peppers. Police found the immigrants while investigating a tip about a tractor-trailer parked in the middle of the road. They initially discovered a dozen people in the truck. Later, an officer noticed the pallets did not go all the way to the back of the semitrailer. Police climbed up, and spotted 23 people behind the bell peppers. Two more were found hiding nearby in an abandoned trailer.
Pennsylvania: Baby’s skeleton
An infant’s skeleton was found in a suitcase by adult siblings cleaning out their elderly mother’s house Saturday in Hempfield Township after she died, state police said. The siblings did not recognize the suitcase as their mother’s, but said clothes found inside belonged to her, trooper Lisa Jobe said. Police hope a forensic pathologist can determine the infant’s gender and how and when the child died.
California: Trucker drives off pier
A trucker hauling a load of Volkswagen cars drove his cab and several cars into San Diego Bay after blacking out at a marine terminal, authorities said. The unidentified driver suffered some kind of medical emergency and drove off a pier Saturday afternoon, said fire department Capt. Sergio Mora. He said the driver regained consciousness underwater and swam to the surface, where dock workers helped him out of the water.
Puerto Rico: Afghan detainee dies
An Afghan detainee and alleged member of the Taliban died in custody Sunday at Guantanamo Bay of colorectal cancer, the U.S. military in San Juan said. The detainee, identified as Abdul Razzak, 68, had been undergoing chemotherapy treatments since October.
Panama: Crash survivor improves
A California girl who was the sole survivor of a Tuesday plane crash in Panama was released from a hospital Sunday in David but will remain with her parents in the Central American country for a few days and possibly meet some of her rescuers. Francesca Lewis, 12, and her family likely will go home to Santa Barbara later this week.
Afghanistan: NATO soldier killed
A roadside bomb killed a NATO soldier and wounded four others in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, while a Taliban ambush left eight Afghan security personnel dead, officials said. NATO did not identify the nationalities of the dead and wounded soldiers or the exact location of the blast.
Iran: Launch of nuke power plant
Iran said Sunday that it will begin operation of the country’s first nuclear power plant in the summer, using half its 1,000 megawatt capacity, the official news agency IRNA reported. Iranian officials have said they plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity through nuclear energy in the next two decades.
Israel: Slaying threatens talks
Furious over the killing of two Israelis hiking near Hebron in the West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Sunday that no peace will come until Palestinians crack down on militants. There were two claims of responsibility for the Friday deaths: one from Hamas and Islamic Jihad; the other from Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, which has ties to Abbas’ Fatah movement.
Turkey: Militant suspects arrested
Five accused members of an alleged al-Qaida sleeper cell, including a high school teacher, were ordered jailed Sunday on terror charges, reports said. They were among 19 people detained in a sweep Saturday in Istanbul, Ankara, Aksaray and Adana, the Anatolia news agency said. The others were released pending trial, the report said. Police also seized firearms, bullets, fake ID cards and other documents, Anatolia said.
From Herald news services
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