On a southeast Alaskan island, a Coast Guard helicopter crashes, hurting crew members

Two of the four crew men on board were gravely injured when a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter engaged in a search and rescue mission crashed in southeast Alaska.

According to Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Michael Salerno, all four crew members were transported to Seattle for medical attention after the crash that occurred late on Monday on Read Island, around 80 miles (129 kilometers) east of Sitka. Two of the crew members' injuries were deemed critical by the Coast Guard.

According to a Coast Guard news release shared on social media, rescue teams from state and local agencies as well as an additional Coast Guard aircraft arrived at the scene early on Tuesday to assist in providing medical care to the crew members who were more gravely injured.

According to the Coast Guard, the first workers arrived at the scene about 12:50 a.m. after the incident was reported at 11:05 p.m.