12 US Marines missing after chopper collision off Hawaii

HONOLULU -- High waves for the next several days will hamper the search for 12 Marines missing at sea after two helicopters collided near the island of Oahu in Hawaii, US Coast Guard officials said on Friday.

Two Coast Guard cutters and several Coast Guard aircraft were searching, along with two US Navy warships and local police and fire department helicopters, the Coast Guard said.

A safety zone has been set up from the shoreline that matches up with the accident site to 8 miles (13 km) out to sea, the Coast Guard said.

"We've seen debris through the entire area," said Lieutenant Scott Carr, a Coast Guard spokesman. He added the high surf was expected to last until at least Tuesday.

The CH-53E helicopters, belonging to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing from the Marine Corps Air Station at Kaneohe Bay, were reported to have collided just before midnight local time, Coast Guard spokeswoman Sara Mooers said.

The wide-ranging search for the Marines was hampered by high surf and poor visibility from rain storms. The National Weather Service warned that a northwest swell would bring 35 foot to 45 foot (11 meter to 14 meter) surf to the area through Friday.

"It's very difficult to find things right now," Carr said.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew spotted debris in the water off the town of Haleiwa on the north shore of Oahu but they did not find passengers.

The debris field spanned more than 7 miles off the coast, the Coast Guard said.

"Thoughts & prayers are with our Marines & their families in Hawaii as search efforts continue," General Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, said in a message on Twitter.

No distress call was issued by either aircraft. Authorities were notified by a man standing on the beach who saw a fireball over the ocean after seeing the helicopters flying in that area, Carr said at a news conference.

source: interaksyon.com

US Coast Guard gives Russell Crowe a lift after kayak mishap

NEW YORK – Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe and a friend were picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard over the weekend after getting lost while kayaking off Long Island, New York, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday.

Crowe and his unidentified friend flagged down a Coast Guard patrol after beaching their kayaks in Huntington Bay around 10 p.m. on Saturday (0200 GMT on Sunday), the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The pair had set off from Cold Spring Harbor, several miles away, but got lost and made for the beach as night fell and conditions worsened, according to the statement.

Crowe thanked “the boys from the US Coast Guard for guiding the way” in a message on Twitter posted on Sunday.

Early on Monday, he also tweeted: “not lost, we knew where exactly where we were, paddling around from csh (Cold Spring Harbor) into wind, we ran out of day. Grand adventure eh.”

Neither the New Zealand-born Crowe, 48, nor his companion were injured, the Coast Guard said.

“It is common for the Coast Guard to assist boaters like this, but it was very cool to help Russell Crowe and his friend,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Swieciki, the boat coxswain involved in the incident. “Crowe and his friend were very grateful to get a lift.”

Crowe, who won an Oscar in 2001 for his starring role in “Gladiator,” has a reputation for being bad-tempered and was arrested in 2005 for throwing a telephone at a New York hotel employee.

In 2010, he stormed out of a BBC radio interview over remarks made about the accent he used playing the title role in the movie “Robin Hood.”

Crowe also was nominated for an Oscar in 2000 for his leading role in “The Insider” and in 2002 for his leading role in “A Beautiful Mind.”

source: interaksyon.com