Kentucky ‘soulmates’ dead, missing after fatal tourist helicopter crash in Hawaii
A Northern Kentucky couple was on board a helicopter that crashed in Hawaii last week, according to the County Of Kaua’i and local media reports.
The crash happened around 1:20 p.m about a quarter mile offshore in the ocean along Na Pali Coast, according to the local county government. Hikers on the Kalalau Trail saw the crash and reported the incident to dispatch.
The crash involved a Robinson R44 helicopter from the Ali’i Kauai Air Tours and Charters company in Kaua’i, according to the local county government. Pilot Guy Croydon, 69, and passengers James Quintua, 60, and Amy Quintua, 53, were on board the helicopter when it crashed.
James and Amy Quintua are from Northern Kentucky, according to WLWT in Cincinnati. The news station also reported that the couple got married in 2015 and were in Hawaii visiting James Quintua’s family.
Amy’s sister-in-law, Amy Gail Ruark, told Fox 19 in Cincinnati her sister-in-law was a kindhearted individual. She also said James Quintua would make people look bad by the kind gestures he would do for others.
“She and Jim had found each other and were soulmates,” Ruark told Fox 19. “They were one of those couples that you would look at and be in awe of their love for each other. We loved Jim and his family as if he had always been part of the family.”
Amy Quintua was found dead roughly an hour after the crash by Kauai Ocean Safety Bureau Lifeguards on jet skis, according to the local county government. James Quintua and Croydon were never found.
Officials immediately conducted search & rescue operations following the crash. The local county government said the search was suspended Sunday after officials looked for approximately 60 hours and covered more than 830 square miles.
“We would like to thank our Kauai County partners for their professionalism and organization, which have made this unified response very effective,” Coast Guard Cmdr. Kristen Hahn, search and rescue mission coordinator with Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, said in a Facebook post. “While this event has been a tragedy for both the families and the community, I am reassured that our responders have been able to collect some debris and exhaust our search efforts, which may provide closure for everyone involved.”
Many agencies were involved in the search, including various branches of the Coast Guard, the Hawai‘i National Guard, the Kaua‘i Fire Department, the Kaua‘i Police Department, the Kaua‘i Ocean Safety Bureau, the Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency and Life’s Bridges Hawai‘i.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Guy Croydon, and James and Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua,” local Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said in a Facebook post. “We are truly grateful for the committed efforts of our search and rescue teams, partnering agencies, and community during this operation.”
This story was originally published July 16, 2024 at 11:51 AM.
