Coast Guard rescues 4 from downed helicopter

NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard rescued four people from a downed aircraft, Wednesday, 16 miles south of Terrebonne, La.

Rescued were Reid Aldrich of Nampa, Ind., David Portlock of Lafayette, La., Brian Meadows of Carencro, La., and John Howell of Cape Coral, Fla.

Watchstanders at the Eighth Coast Guard District received a report from an aircraft, via satellite phone, at 8:37 a.m., reporting that they had made an emergency landing in the water and were staying afloat using its emergency floatation devices, 16 miles south of Terrebonne, La., in the Gulf of Mexico.

Two people safely deployed and transferred to the aircraft's life raft, and two other remained with the aircraft to continue communication with rescue personnel.

Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans launched two MH-65C rescue helicopters and crews to the scene at 9:17 a.m. Good Samaritan fishing vessel, Nhu-Uyen and motor vessel CAPT. Joel, safely rescued two people from the life raft and assisted in hoisting them into the rescue helicopter. The other two were safely hoisted from the aircraft into the rescue helicopter.

All were transported to Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma, La.

Their conditions are unknown.

Click here for PHOTO1.

Click here for PHOTO2.

Video is available upon request.

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