Palmer man onboard helicopter that crashed near Sitka

WASILLA — A Palmer man is among four people believed to be onboard a helicopter that crashed late Friday night near Sitka.

David King, 53, was identified by Alaska State Troopers as an occupant of the helicopter in an online dispatch posted Sunday morning. Joshua Pepperd, 42, Aiden Pepper, 14, and Andrew Pepperd, 11, all of Anchorage, were also on the helicopter, according to troopers. Aiden Pepperd was rescued by a United States Coast Guard crew and was transported to a hospital in Anchorage.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash, which was initially reported just before midnight on Friday. Troopers received a report from the Sitka Police Department about the crash, which happened in Lituya Bay, about 130 miles north of Sitka. The Sitka Police were contacted by the Coast Guard, troopers said. The crashed helicopter was seen near the Lituya Bay shoreline. Troopers said the United States Parks Service was also contacted, because the crash site is inside Glacier Bay National Park.

The Coast Guard searched the area, looking for the other three occupants of the helicopter.

According to troopers, debris from the helicopter was found scattered across the shoreline during the initial investigation.

This is a developing story. Continue to see frontiersman.com for more.