Search suspended for men lost when helicopter crashed in Albemarle Sound on NC coast

UPDATE: The bodies of John Arant, 35, and his brother, Alan Arant, 36, were recovered Thursday, according to news outlets. Below is the original story.

A search is underway in North Carolina’s Albemarle Sound for a helicopter that went missing Monday evening, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Investigators say “a concerned friend” reported losing contact with the Robinson R44 helicopter around 6:40 p.m. Monday, according to a news release.

Two Virginia men were aboard the helicopter, officials said. Their identities have not been released.

“The two men departed from Mecklenburg Brunswick Regional Airport (in Virginia) and planned to land at the Dare County Regional Airport the same evening,” Coast Guard officials said. The craft was last seen “in the vicinity” of the sound.

Debris linked to the aircraft has been found in multiple locations, officials said.

“At 10:46 a.m. Tuesday, a good Samaritan recovered a backpack with personal belongings inside approximately 3.5 miles south of the mouth of the Alligator River,” Coast Guard officials said.

“At 11:27 a.m., the Jayhawk aircrew discovered helicopter debris in the water approximately 9 miles north of the Alligator River Bridge in the Albemarle Sound.”

The National Transportation and Safety Board referred to the incident as a “crash” in a tweet on Wednesday and said it is investigating the case.

The search includes aircraft and boats from the Coast Guard, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and Tyrell County Sheriff’s Department, officials said.

Albemarle Sound is one of the state’s longest estuaries and is more than 50 miles wide at points, according to OuterBanks.com. It “borders hundreds of miles of mainland” and is linked to some of the state’s biggest rivers, the site reports.

This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Search suspended for men lost when helicopter crashed in Albemarle Sound on NC coast."