NEW ORLEANS — The bodies of four people who were aboard a helicopter that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday were found on Monday.
The helicopter and the bodies of the three offshore workers and pilot were found by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday, according to a joint statement from the three companies involved.
Rotorcraft, Walter Oil & Gas Corporation and Island Operating Co. released a joint statement saying:
"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," the statement reads.
"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."
The Coast Guard spent hours searching the waters off the coast of Louisiana after the helicopter crashed while departing an oil platform. One of the passengers, 36-year-old David Scarborough of Lizana, Miss., was identified by his wife.
The helicopter went down about 10 miles offshore from Southwest Pass, a shipping channel at the mouth of the Mississippi River southeast of New Orleans. Helicopters routinely transport workers to and from oil platforms in the Gulf.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating the crash.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.