3 dead, 4 rescued after helicopter crash

Four survivors of a deadly tour helicopter crash onto the jagged rocks of the Grand Canyon were being treated at a Nevada hospital Sunday while crews tackled difficult terrain in a remote area to try to recover the bodies of three other people.

Six passengers and a pilot were on board the Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters chopper when it crashed under unknown circumstances Saturday evening on Hualapai Nation land near Quartermaster Canyon, by the Grand Canyon’s West Rim. A witness said he saw flames and black smoke spewing from the crash site, heard explosions and saw victims who were bleeding and badly burned.

“It’s just horrible,” said witness Teddy Fujimoto. “And those victims — she was so badly burned. It’s unimaginable, the pain.”

Windy conditions, darkness and rugged terrain made it difficult to reach the wreckage, Hualapai Nation Police Chief Francis Bradley said. Rescue crews walked to the crash site and used night vision goggles.

— The Associated Press