Kentucky couple involved in Hawaii helicopter crash that left 1 dead, 2 missing

Officials called off a search for two missing people in a helicopter crash involving a Union, Ky. couple in Hawaii, according to a United States Coast Guard press release.

The couple, 60-year-old James Quintua and 53-year-old Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua, were passengers on a helicopter that crashed with the pilot on board. The crash happened Thursday a quarter mile off the Na Pali Coast in Kauai, Hawaii, according to the Coast Guard.

Amy Quintua’s body was recovered the same day as the crash. James Quintua and 69-year-old Guy Croyden, the pilot of the helicopter, were still missing as of Sunday when the search was called off, according to the press release.

The search was conducted by the Coast Guard and County of Kauai. Rescue crews searched for about 60 hours in an area of more than 830 square miles, the news release says.

Joe Mellencamp, president of Beacon Electric, where James worked, confirmed that James and Amy were the passengers involved in the helicopter accident. James was a senior project manager manager at Beacon Electric for the last 10 years, said Mellencamp.

Boone County property records also show the couple owned a home in Union.

Beacon Electric was notified Friday afternoon about the incident, and they received the official news that search was closed on Sunday, Mellencamp said.

James was a good friend of his and will be missed within the company, he added. "His level of professionalism and integrity was second to none."

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Guy Croyden, and James and Amy Nichole Ruark Quintua,” said Derek S. K. Kawakami, mayor of the County of Kauai. “We are truly grateful for the committed efforts of our search and rescue teams, partnering agencies, and community during this operation.”

About Kauai, Hawaii

Kauai is a Hawaiian island that lies in the Central Pacific. It's Hawaii's third largest island in terms of land mass, according to PBS.

It had a population of 73,851 as of 2023, according to Census data.

The Na Pali Coast, where the helicopter crash took place, is on the island's northwest shore.