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By Shaun A. PenningtonFebruary 15, 2021

A helicopter crash in the Botany Bay area Monday afternoon took four lives, the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency confirmed, but little else had been released officially about the incident as of Monday evening.

At 6:45 p.m. the Virgin Islands Emergency Management Agency sent a statement saying only that the crash had taken place at approximately 3 p.m. and that a number of V.I. government agencies had responded to the site.

At 7:39 p.m. VITEMA confirmed four dead, as a search of the crash site continued. None of the deceased were identified pending notification of next of kin.

Informed sources said four people and the pilot were aboard the craft when it left the Cyril E. King Airport Monday afternoon for the short trip to the western end of St. Thomas.

At the scene, along with VITEMA were personnel from V.I. Fire Services, Port Authority, V.I. Police Department, the Federal Aviation Authority, St. Thomas Rescue and the National Transportation Safety Board, according to Erik Ackerson, VITEMA public information officer.

Ackerson said the operations at the site of the crash had been suspended for the night.

The Source will update the story as soon as further information is received.