All Four Bodies Have Been Recovered From Last Week’s Helicopter Gulf of Mexico Crash

The helicopter that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico last Thursday was found on Monday by the U.S. Coast Guard. Sadly, so were the bodies of the four people being transported in that helicopter.

In a joint statement released by the employees' companies -- Rotorcraft, Walter Oil & Gas Corporation and Island Operating Co. - the bodies of a pilot and three offshore workers were recovered on Monday.

The statement read in part as follows:

The response to the incident has been a joint effort involving Walter (owner of the offshore platform near where the helicopter went down in the water), Island (employer of the three passengers) and RLC (operator of the helicopter and employer of the pilot), along with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

We extend our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the pilot and passengers on board the aircraft. We will continue to cooperate fully with the agencies investigating this tragic incident including the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

On Thursday, December 29th around 8:40 am, the helicopter crashed while departing a platform about 10 miles offshore from Southwest Pass in Plaquemines Parish.

It was on its way back onshore at the time of the crash.

Last week, one of the passengers -- David Scarborough -- was identified by his family in Mississippi. However, the identity of the other three passengers has not been made public.