On April 6, 2025, a medical transport helicopter crashed into the sea off Nagasaki Prefecture in southwestern Japan. The crash killed three people and left three others with injuries. The victims included an 86-year-old patient, Mitsuki Motoishi, her 68-year-old caretaker, Kazuyoshi Motoishi, and a 34-year-old doctor, Kei Arakawa.
The survivors were 66-year-old pilot Hiroshi Hamada, mechanic Kazuto Yoshitake, 28, and nurse Sakura Kunitake, 28. The Japan Coast Guard found them clinging to inflatable lifesavers in the water. Although they suffered hypothermia, they remained conscious and alert when rescuers arrived.
The helicopter had been transporting the patient from Nagasaki Prefecture to a hospital in Fukuoka when it crashed. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the accident.
