Search suspended for 2 missing in helicopter crash off U.S. Hawaii coast

LOS ANGELES, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Authorities on Sunday suspended their search for the two missing people involved in Thursday's helicopter crash near the coast of Kauai in the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Kauai County suspended their search at 2 p.m. local time (2100 GMT) on Sunday, for the two people who went missing after the helicopter crashed one-quarter mile off the Na Pali Coast in Kauai on Thursday, according to an update posted by Kauai County on its Facebook page.

Rescue crews searched for approximately 60 hours, covering more than 830 square miles (about 2,150 sq km), said the county's update.

"For the last four days, the Coast Guard, County of Kauai, along with many of our state and federal partners led an extensive search and recovery operation," said Hawaii Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke in a statement.

Officials said that the two missing individuals are 69-year-old Guy Croydon, the helicopter pilot, and 60-year-old James Quintua, one of the passengers. The other passenger was found unresponsive by Kauai Ocean Safety Bureau lifeguards on Thursday.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the helicopter involved in the crash was a Robinson R44. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said that it is investigating the cause of the crash.