The Coast Guard is reporting that a helicopter has crashed near the Norris Glacier and the pilot, who was the only person on board, is injured.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Joshua Ryan of District 17 Command said a distress beacon was detected at 2:14 p.m.
He said Era Helicopters confirmed it was one of theirs that had crashed.
Authorities have been in radio contact with dog sled tour operators on the glacier near the crash site. Ryan said those workers got the pilot out of the helicopter.
“The pilot may have some broken ribs,” Ryan said. “However, he’s responsive but complaining of chest pain.”
Ryan says the pilot has not been identified. He says Capital City Fire/Rescue personnel and TEMSCO Helicopters are en route to retrieve the injured pilot. An MH-60 from the Coast Guard’s Air Station Sitka is also en route.
Jeremy Hsieh is the deputy managing editor of the KTOO newsroom in Juneau. He’s a podcast fiend who’s worked in journalism since high school as a reporter, editor and television producer. He ran Gavel Alaska for 360 North from 2011 to 2016, and is big on experimenting with novel tools and mediums (including the occasional animated gif) to tell stories and demystify the news. Jeremy’s an East Coast transplant who moved to Juneau in 2008.
