SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Authorities in the Dominican Republic say five people have died after a helicopter crashed near a popular tourist area.
The director of the Investigative Commission of Aviation Accidents says the EC20 helicopter disappeared late Thursday after the pilot picked up four people at a hotel in Rio San Juan on the country's north coast.
Col. Emmanuel Souffront told The Associated Press on Friday that the group was headed to the southeast coastal city of La Romana.
Authorities said they lost contact with the helicopter some 24 miles (39 kilometers) northwest of their destination.
No further information was immediately available.
