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Remains found after copter crash near Seattle

Human remains and aircraft wreckage were found Friday in Washington’s Puget Sound, where a medical helicopter crashed the night before.
/ Source: The Associated Press

Human remains and aircraft wreckage were found Friday in Washington’s Puget Sound, where a medical helicopter crashed the night before.

No patients were on board.

The Airlift Northwest helicopter was carrying a pilot and two nurses back to base when it went down on Thursday night. An Edmonds police sergeant said the helicopter apparently sank in 300 feet of water.

Officials were able to identify the helicopter by papers found floating about a mile offshore, the officer said.

There were areas of fog and mist and some gusty winds at the time the helicopter was returning from Harborview Medical Center in Seattle to its base at the Arlington Airport in Snohomish County.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Adam Eggers said the debris was spotted by a Coast Guard boat shortly before 1 a.m. in an area called Browns Bay, a short distance north of Edmonds.

Airlift Northwest said one of its helicopters left Harborview just after 9:00 p.m. Thursday.  The company said its dispatchers had contact with the pilot at 9:14 p.m., but an attempt at contact 10 minutes later was unsuccessful.