A press conference was held this afternoon at the US Coast Guard Base of Los Angeles/Long Beach to provid updates of the fatal helicopter crash that occurred on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) Sheriff Robert Luna along with Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) Chief Anthony Marrone, Los Angeles County 4th District Board of Supervisor Janice Hahn, United States Coast Guard Captain Stacy Crecy, and Los Angeles Port Police Chief Thomas Gazsi addressed a media crowd of the tragic helicopter crash.
On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at approximately 7:46 p.m., Avalon Sheriff’s Station personnel were in the area of the Avalon Helipad when a helicopter crashed into the ocean approximately two hundred yards offshore. Department personnel immediately requested Los Angeles County Baywatch and Avalon City Harbor Patrol rescue vessels, as well as additional Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department personnel, to respond to the scene.
Los Angeles County Fire Department and City Fire Department were already in the immediate area at the time of the collision and their personnel immediately responded. Within minutes, rescue vessels arrived at the crash site and began searching for survivors.
During the initial rescue operation, four occupants were recovered from the water. Tragically, two individuals were pronounced deceased. The two survivors were rescued and transported to Avalon Harbor, where they received medical attention before being airlifted to a hospital for additional medical care.
Sheriff Robert Luna stated, “This has been an extensive, coordinated response involving personnel from multiple local and federal agencies. What you see behind me and around me is a true partnership. We train, we consistently communicate, and we coordinate. I can tell you that this maritime environment in and around the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Catalina Island areas have some of the best trained personnel in the world, when it comes to multi-agency coordination and response. Our hearts are with the families and loved ones grieving this heartbreaking loss, and with the Catalina community as we mourn together.”
LASD personnel assisted our partnering agencies with the recovery and preservation of the debris associated with the crash. Recovered debris was secured for examination by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), who will lead the investigation into the circumstances and cause of the crash. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will continue to provide assistance to support NTSB’s investigation.
At approximately 8:00 p.m. on September 30, 2026, LASD Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) was notified and deployed specialized personnel and equipment to Catalina Island. SEB joined a Unified Command with Avalon Sheriff’s Station, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and the United States Coast Guard. Personnel from these agencies continued search operations throughout the night.
On October 1, 2026, search and rescue personnel located the helicopter wreckage below 200 feet on the ocean floor. LASD SEB Team deployed specialized underwater search technology to assist with this effort. The specialized underwater search consisted of two small fast boats, two medium-sized vessels, autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with sonar, along with remotely operated underwater vehicles, commonly referred to as ROV’s. This technology systematically searches the ocean floor to identify potential targets and evaluate underwater conditions before placing divers in the water.
The focus of the operation remains on locating the remaining missing person and conducting the search operation as safely and effectively as possible. If conditions permit, SEB divers will conduct operations in attempt to search the interior of the wreckage to confirm whether anyone remains inside.
This has been an extensive, coordinated response involving personnel from multiple local and federal agencies. LASD will continue working closely with our partner agencies to provide additional information as it becomes available.
For questions, please contact Sheriff’s Information Bureau at (213) 229-1850.
Forwarded by:
Sheriff’s Information Bureau
211 West Temple Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90012,
Website LASD HQ:
http://www.lasd.org
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Robert G. Luna,
Sheriff Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
