Helicopter Crash: Pilot's Last Words Revealed

The final words of Pete Barnes, the pilot killed after his helicopter crashed in central London, have been revealed.

Mr Barnes, 50, died from multiple injuries when the helicopter he was flying clipped a high-rise crane at St George Wharf in Vauxhall, south London.

A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch said he spoke to air traffic control just before the crash and requested permission to land at a heliport in Battersea.

He asked: "Is Battersea open, do you know?"

After being told it was, he replied: "If I could head to Battersea that would be very useful."

The air traffic controller responded: "Battersea diversion approved, you're cleared to Battersea."

The helicopter burst into flames after crash landing

Mr Barnes' final words, spoken seven seconds before he crashed, were: "Thanks a lot."

The report also revealed that Mr Barnes' client, whom he had been due to pick up from Elstree in Hertfordshire, advised him not to make the journey from Redhill Aerodrome in Surrey.

The report said: "At 0718hrs, the client called the pilot to discuss the weather. The pilot said he thought the weather might clear earlier than forecast. The client said he would drive to Elstree and call the pilot to keep him advised.

"At 0731hrs, having noticed how poor the weather was during his journey, the client called the pilot to suggest that he did not take off until he (the client) had reached Elstree and observed the weather. The pilot replied that he was already starting the engines.

St George's Wharf tower before and after the crash

"The client stated that he repeated his suggestion that the pilot should not take off."

He sent the client another message at 7.29am which stated: "I'm coming anyway will land in a field if I have to."

Mr Barnes' aircraft hit the crane and plummeted to the ground close to Vauxhall station.

He narrowly missed a new apartment block called The Tower, in St George's Wharf, to which the crane was attached as he crashed in Wandsworth Road.

An inquest into his death at Southwark Coroner's Court was earlier told he had been flying from Redhill to Elstree when he requested permission to divert.

Pedestrian Matthew Wood, 39, was also killed as he was walking to work.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Irish Nanny Charged Over Baby Death In US

An Irish nanny living illegally in America has been charged with violently assaulting a baby who later died.

Aisling McCarthy Brady, 34, from Quincy, Massachusetts, is alleged to have been the sole carer for the girl on January 14 - her first birthday - when she suffered injuries "consistent with abusive head trauma".

The baby, Rehma Sabir, died two days later in hospital after suffering brain damage.

She was also found to have multiple healing bone fractures.

Brady is currently being held on $500,000 (£316,000) bail after pleading not guilty to assault and battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury.

However, further charges are anticipated following the conclusion of the final report by the Chief Medical Examiner, the district attorney's office said on its website.

Brady could face further charges

Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said: "This is an extremely troubling case where we allege the defendant violently assaulted a one-year-old child, causing a devastating head injury and broken bones.

"Children are our most vulnerable victims and where, as here, the offender has been entrusted with the care of a child who depends on them, the allegations are all the more egregious."

A statement on the District Attorney's website said: "It is alleged that on January 14, the child was in the care of the defendant, her nanny.

"Through their investigation, including interviews with witnesses, police determined that the defendant had sole custody of and contact with the child during the time that she sustained injuries consistent with abusive head trauma."

The hospital where Rehma was treated and later died

Rehma's injuries could have happened at any time, Brady's lawyer told the Associated Press.

Immigration authorities said Brady arrived from Ireland in 2002 with a permit to stay for 90 days.

A spokeswoman for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said: "We are aware of the case and have been in contact with the family.

"We are ready to provide any consular assistance if it is needed."

Rehma's father reportedly comes from London and her mother from Karachi, Pakistan.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Russia Crash: Baby Thrown Into Path Of Lorry

A one-year-old girl has had an amazing escape after being involved in a road smash that saw her flung in front of oncoming traffic.

The Mitsubishi car that the child was travelling in with her parents spun out of control while trying to overtake on an icy road in Russia.

The vehicle skidded backwards and crashed into traffic on the opposite side of the road, sending the little girl flying out of the window into the middle of the carriageway.

The baby, circled in red, was lying in the path of oncoming traffic

A lorry driver coming the other way spotted the child - crawling in the middle of the road - and swerved, missing her by just a few inches.

Her parents then ran from their wrecked car and picked up their baby daughter from the road - just as another lorry was coming the other way.

The child suffered cuts and bruises to her head and was taken to a nearby hospital.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Police Officers 'Abuse Positions For Sex'

Police officers are buying steroids from criminals and abusing their positions to have sex with vulnerable women, a police leader has warned.

Mike Cunningham said that most forces were investigating cases where officers had become embroiled with criminals after gym use escalated to taking body-building drugs.

There were also probes into claims of officers using their positions to persuade vulnerable women to sleep with them, he said.

Mr Cunningham, the Chief Constable of Staffordshire, said the two were the greatest corruption risks among the country's police officers.

He said: "We do our own assessment of corruption threats, one of them is steroid abuse and gym use by officers.

"What that starts off is very often officers going to the gyms, beginning to dabble in steroids, then the relationships they form when they're using steroids become corrupt and corrosive.

Stephen Mitchell who was given two life sentences

"There is good evidence of officers getting way out of their depth with serious criminals who they are beholden to."

Mr Cunningham, who was speaking after the release of an Association of Chief Police Officers' report into corruption, also said that dozens of officers across England and Wales were abusing their positions to have sex with vulnerable women.

He said: "We found that when we asked force professional standards departments that again most forces were investigating allegations against individual officers abusing their position for sexual favour."

One example is Stephen Mitchell, who worked for Northumbria Police and was given two life sentences in 2011 for two rapes and three indecent assaults.

The court heard how the 42-year-old abused women he met on duty, including a disabled teenager, heroin addicts and shoplifters.

Chief constables are to discuss plans for tackling corruption.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Huge Boulder Falls Onto House In Utah

A massive boulder has crashed into a house in southern Utah in the middle of the night, almost crushing to death a woman sleeping inside.

Wanda Denhalter was sleeping alone in the early hours of Saturday when the 12ft by 9ft rock came barrelling through the wall of her bedroom in St George.

The 63-year-old suffered a broken jaw, cracked sternum and a major gash in her leg.

She needed four hours of emergency surgery and was left in great pain - but is expected to make a full recovery and is just grateful to be alive.

Her husband, 62-year-old Scot Denhalter, said the boulder broke off from a cliff above their rented home.

He was away at his son's house at the time but has said his wife would have been killed if he had been occupying his usual spot in the bed.

"Had I been there, she would have been killed," Mr Denhalter said. "She would have been on her side of the bed."

Rockfalls are common in the area but rarely do much damage

The rock had dropped about 40ft after breaking off and then hit a slope leading to the house.

It bounced down and broke in two before ending up in the corner of the bedroom.

St George city spokesman Marc Mortensen said it is not uncommon for rocks and boulders to roll down the many hills in the area, but it is rare for them to hit homes.

"It's a rare occurrence. It was an act of nature," he said.

"Rain, wind, snow and frost all play a factor in the soil composition on hillsides. They are constantly shifting to some degree."

But that is cold comfort to the Denhalters who have decided they will not be returning to live at the house.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Weather: Big Freeze Leads To Nine Deaths

The icy weather has led to the deaths of nine people in the last week.

Motorists walk back to their cars after a fire in Dartmoor blocked the road

Among those who died was 54-year-old James Hurst, who fell over after he had been dropped off by a taxi following an evening at a local pub on Saturday.

Neighbours saw his body lying near a doorstep at about 8am the next day. Police confirmed Mr Hurst had suffered a head injury, which they were treating as an accident.

Tributes were also paid to postman John Bircham, who collapsed as he approached the end of his deliveries in and around the Somerset town of Dulverton on Saturday.

Ablaze: a car fire on the B3212 at Dartmoor, Devon

It is understood that the 57-year-old father-of-two had been towed out of a snowdrift by a farmer before collapsing soon afterwards.

A woman found dead in a garden early on Sunday is believed to have collapsed in the snow after a night out.

Bernadette Lee, 25, was discovered in the front garden of the house next to her sister's by a man walking his dog in Church Meadows in Deal, Kent, at 7.30am.

Driver Matthew Shipton was on his way home from work when the blaze started

Kent Police is investigating the cause of death, but there have been reports that she had no visible injuries and was found without a coat.

A man was also killed in another weather-related incident when the car he was driving left the road and crashed into a tree on the A12 in Essex on Sunday night.

Elsewhere, 16-year-old Liam Stafford remains critically ill in hospital after being injured while sledging in Flatts Lane Country Park in Normanby, Middlesbrough, on Sunday afternoon.

Fire crews use a raft to reach a boy who fell through the ice (Pic: WMFS)

Meanwhile, more snow has fallen across some parts of the UK causing disruption to schools and travel networks and stranding motorists in their cars.

Up to 9cm fell overnight across parts of south and southwest England, the West Midlands and parts of Wales, but it has been generally light.

In Somerset, 30 people were forced to abandon their cars and spend the night in a shelter after heavy snow and fallen trees blocked the A39 between Bridgwater and Wilton.

Children make their way through the ice to school in Princetown, Dartmoor

Police rescued the stranded drivers in the early hours of the morning and took them to a local village hall where they spent the night.

A spokesperson for Avon & Somerset Police said: "At 1am we became aware that about 30 people were stuck on a road that was impassable, primarily because of snow but also because of fallen trees.

"Officers from different districts in 4x4s were first on the scene to help and we asked the local fire station to open up and serve hot drinks and spoke with the council and identified a key-holder for a nearby village hall.

Snow today is expected to be generally light

"It was a group effort by the emergency services and a bit of community spirit."

Another driver had a lucky escape after his car caught fire on the B3212 at Dartmoor in Devon.

Matthew Shipton, 21, was driving home from work when his engine suddenly burst into flames. Firefighters were called and put out the blaze.

Emergency services were also called to Sutton Park in Sutton Coldfield where a boy, believed to be 15, had apparently tried to walk on the frozen surface of a large pool of water.

Blizzard: People struggle across a car park in Shepton Mallet

After falling through he managed to escape the icy water and reach an island about 30 metres (100ft) from the shore, but was suffering from the effects of the cold.

Fire crews from Sutton Coldfield, Erdington and Perry Barr were sent to the park, along with the police and ambulance service.

They were able to rescue the boy using an inflatable raft, and he was taken to hospital.

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "This incident is a very timely reminder about the need for us all to stay safe and sensible in these very cold weather conditions.

Icy: Snow and ice covers Bradgate Park in Newtown, Leicestershire

"As sturdy as it might look, there is no way of knowing the thickness of ice on pools, lakes and other waterways. Please stay off it, and make sure that any children you know are aware of the dangers.

"People who put themselves at risk by venturing on to ice also endanger the lives of anyone who might have to rescue them.

"We're also urging dog owners to keep them on leads, so that they and their pets don't get into difficulties."

Temperatures are expected to become milder at the weekend, although melting snow coupled with rainfall could lead to flooding.

Snow is cleared by a farmer on a road near Auchterarder, Scotland

Sky weather producer Joanna Robinson said: "The next few days will be quieter in terms of snowfall, but ice and freezing fog will remain hazards.

"The next spell of heavy, possibly disruptive, snow will be on Friday in the north and east, but it will be fairly short lived as it will turn milder over the weekend. Flooding will then be an issue.

"In terms of snowfall today, there will be patchy outbreaks across the West Midlands, Wales and south-west England, but it will be much lighter than last night.

"Parts of Wales and southwest England could see another 2-5cm, locally 10cm over the hills.

"Generally the snowfall should ease today, but there may be some very local issues of disruption across the South West.

"Tonight and Thursday night look very cold, with temperatures dropping below minus 10 Celsius in some rural spots."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Larry Hagman's JR Ewing To Get Dallas Send Off

In a fitting farewell to one of soap's greatest characters, JR Ewing is set to be killed off in a whodunnit plot worthy of the 1980 Dallas cliffhanger Who Shot JR?

The unexpected death of actor Larry Hagman on November 23 left the producers of the next generation Dallas with a dilemma about how to write his character out.

Hagman had filmed five episodes of season two when he died, leaving executive producer Cynthia Cidre with the task of finding a fitting end for the ruthless Texas oilman he played.

The character's funeral will be shown in March in episode eight of the series, which begins on the US TNT channel on Monday. It will air on Channel 5 in the UK later this year.

The show's writing staff, headed by Ms Cidre, have reworked the second half of the season in the light of 81-year-old Hagman's death.

The result is a multi-episode Who Killed JR? mystery that Ms Cidre hopes will rival the wildly popular Who Shot JR? storyline.

"We all felt having JR die of natural causes would have been completely inappropriate, not only to the character, but also to Larry Hagman," Ms Cidre told the US magazine TV Guide.

Larry Hagman, top row, with fellow cast members from the original Dallas

She received the go-ahead for the plotline from JR's screen brother Patrick Duffy, who plays Bobby, as well as Hagman's son, Preston.

Ms Cidre told Entertainment Weekly: "It will be funny and appropriate to JR, but it will also be sad because his family loved him, as do the fans."

She said writing the plotline was an emotional experience, adding: "I never cried when I was writing but the next day I started to type, and I started crying so hard I couldn't even see the computer screen."

Two months after Hagman's death, cast members past and present assembled at the swanky Petroleum Club in Dallas to shoot an epic, drama-filled funeral for JR.

Among the mourners were Cliff Barnes (Ken Kercheval), Gary and Lucy Ewing (Ted Shackelford and Charlene Tilton), Ray Krebbs (Steve Kanaly), Mandy Winger (Deborah Shelton) and Cally Harper Ewing (Cathy Podewell).

It is also rumoured that Victoria Principal, Bobby's first wife Pam, will be at the funeral.

Hagman died in a Dallas hospital following complications from his long battle with cancer.

He had suffered from liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver in the 1990s after decades of drinking. He had a liver transplant in 1995.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chip Factory Blamed For Homes Slipping Into Sea

A housing estate inhabited largely by elderly residents is slipping off a cliff and into the North Sea because of a "river of fat" from the local chip factory, they claim.

Six homes have already perished off Knipe Point near Scarborough because of a landslide that residents say is "man-made".

According to a report commissioned by the residents' association, which represents the 56-home estate, leaking from pipes carrying effluent from the McCain Foods chip factory is partly to blame for the landslips.

The crumbling cliff has blighted the lives of those living there since 2008 and six of the homes on the edge have had to be bulldozed because they are too dangerous for people to live in.

Kane Cunningham is the latest to be ordered by the council to rip his home down because it is a risk.

Mr Cunningham, an artist, bought his home in 2009 for £3,000 as part of an art project and to use as a studio.

He was told it would fall off the cliff within three months but it has lasted three years and three weeks, although he has lost another seven feet of his garden in the last three days.

The latest landslip at Knipe Point

Mr Cunningham said he never thought the problem would turn out to be "man-made" and was surprised when they received the report of the environmental scientists and engineering geologists, Ashton Bennett.

He said the council had previously told them that it was ancient Ice Age water that had surfaced, which was causing the problem.

However, the latest report, the result of a year-long study, apportioned some blame for the subsidence on water from the McCain factory in Osgodby, less than half a mile from the estate.

It said: "The test results of the water issues and the effluent from McCain's factory within YW (Yorkshire Water) pipes indicates that leakage of effluent within YW pipes is the most likely source of the water issues."

An analysis of the effluence from the McCain factory found it contained oil and grease, along with other chemicals the report found evident in the water that had leaked into the cliff.

Mr Cunningham's home just feet from the edge fo the cliff

Mr Cunningham said: "This is not a natural disaster. This is a man-made disaster and we can prove somebody is responsible.

"Six houses have been demolished in the last three years. If the problem is not stopped then the rest of the estate will go as well.

"For me it's because of a river of fat and for me that's what's happened. These houses have just slipped off."

He said most of the 56 homes on the estate were occupied by elderly people.

He added that McCain's prided themselves in being environmentally friendly and that he hoped the company and Yorkshire Water would help to stop the problem.

"At the end of the day, I have lost my house. I've always known that was going to happen but if I can use my situation to help others then I will be happy," Mr Cunningham said.

Mr Cunningham has lost seven feet of land in three days

Part of the pipeline is operated by McCain and part by Yorkshire Water, which has recently carried out work residents say have helped the problem.

A statement from McCain's said: "Like everyone else in Scarborough, we are well aware of the longstanding geological issues at Knipe Point. 

"We employ around a thousand people in the area and throughout the four decades we have been here we have always played an active and responsible role in the community. 

"As part of this commitment we have participated constructively on a voluntary basis in past authoritative studies which have concluded that inherent and unstable geological conditions at Knipe Point are the most probable reason for the issue. 

"We have only received a copy of the new document from the Knipe Point property owners in the last few days and, as we always take community representations seriously, we have asked geological experts to assess the document's contents before commenting further."

A statement from Yorkshire Water said it was considering the findings of the report and would respond to residents as quickly as possible.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

David Cameron Promises 'In-Out' EU Referendum

Mixed Reaction To Cameron Speech

Updated: 2:06pm UK, Wednesday 23 January 2013

David Cameron's key speech on Europe has sparked a predictably mixed reaction from within Britain and beyond. Here are the key quotes.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

"It's entirely for the Prime Minister, as leader of the Conservative Party, to set out what he wants to put in the Conservative Party manifesto and what he wants to do if there was a Conservative majority government.

"My priority remains, and will always remain: yes, reform in Europe; yes, a referendum where the circumstances are right, as we've set out in law; but above and beyond anything else, promoting growth and jobs and building a stronger economy in a fairer society."

Labour leader Ed Miliband

Mr Miliband said that his party "do not want an in/out referendum".

"He is going to put Britain through years of uncertainty and take a huge gamble with our economy. He has been driven to it not by the national interest, he has been dragged to it by his party...

"He is running scared of Ukip and has given in to his party and he can't deliver for Britain."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson

"David Cameron is bang on. What most sensible people want is to belong to the single market but to lop off the irritating excrescences of the European Union.

"We now have a chance to get a great new deal for Britain - that will put the UK at the heart of European trade but that will also allow us to think globally."

Tony Blair

"Europe does need Britain and Britain needs Europe, which is why the sensible thing to do is to argue the case for reform in Europe.

"But the issue for me is why put that other question, why say we are actually going to put on the agenda the prospect of leaving altogether?

"Why would we do that? Why would we do that now when we don't know either what we are proposing, what the rest of Europe's proposing or what the outcome of these negotiations is going to be?"

Labour peer Lord Mandelson

Claims Mr Cameron has conceded "game, set and match to the hardliners in his party".

"It is not a search together in unity with our partners in Europe. Effectively, it's an ultimatum to them with a deadline.

"In my view, what he is doing is treating the European Union like a cafeteria service at which you arrive with your own tray and try to leave with what you want.

"Whether you believe that Mr Cameron's European gamble is a sincere attempt to reform and improve the European Union or a cynical ploy to head off opposition to his leadership in his own party, there is no mistaking he is playing for very high stakes indeed and I do not believe he is going to get what he wants by attempting to put a pistol to the heads of his fellow member states."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage

"Winning this referendum, if and when it comes, is not going to be an easy thing but I feel that UKIP's real job starts today.

"For the first time, a British prime minister is at least discussing the fact that leaving is an option. I remember many long, very lonely years in UKIP when, without a friend in the world, we were advocating this point of view.

"What today means is that in terms of the overall debate, the genie is out of the bottle and from now on the European debate will be taking place on terms that UKIP wants."

Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna

"After this speech, we know that global companies looking to situate European headquarters are probably going to shy away from the UK, which will cost growth and cost jobs."

Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell

"This is more about Ukip than it is about the UK. The Prime Minister's efforts to reconcile his own position with that of his eurosceptic backbenchers leads logically to the position that if he could not get what he wanted out of Europe, he would be willing for the UK to leave.

"This will hardly commend his approach to those in the EU whose co-operation he requires."

Tory MP Dominic Raab

The Tory hailed a "moderate, statesman-like approach ... rightly focused on a fundamental change in strategic direction rather than tactics". "The ball is now in the EU's court," he said.

CBI director general John Cridland

"The EU single market is fundamental to Britain's future economic success, but the closer union of the eurozone is not for us.

"The Prime Minister rightly recognises the benefits of retaining membership of what must be a reformed EU and the CBI will work closely with Government to get the best deal for Britain."

Tory donor Lord Ashcroft

"Tories must remember that we can only get what we want once we win an election. The more we talk about changing our relationship with Europe, the less likely it is to happen.

"The new policy will be in the manifesto. The only question is whether we will get a chance to implement it - and that depends on whether we get a majority at the next election.

"And that depends on how voters think we are doing on the economy, jobs, public services, welfare, crime, immigration: whether we are on their side and understand their priorities.

"It is time for Tory Eurosceptics to declare victory and talk about something else."

Fiona Hall, leader of the Liberal Democrat delegation in the European Parliament

"David Cameron spoke not as Prime Minister but as a Tory Party leader backed into a corner by his outspoken tea-party backbenchers.

"Cameron has failed to reassure our European partners over the UK's commitment to push for EU-wide reform rather than unilateral repatriation and cherry-picking.

"As a result, the UK will lose further influence in Europe as other member states anticipate a 'Brexit' and discount the UK's views altogether."

Simon Walker, director general of the Institute of Directors

"A future referendum to decide the workings of our relationship is the best way to affirm Britain's participation in a free-market Europe which is competitive and deregulated.

"It is far better to deal with these issues than to shy away from them. British business is resilient. It is flexible and it can cope with change - or uncertainty. The eurozone crisis is the source of far more uncertainty than a referendum."

UKIP MEP and ex-European Commission chief accountant Marta Andreasen

"Mr Cameron fundamentally fails to understand the federal EU freight train. Whilst flexibility sounds great and was probably dreamed up by the Prime Minister whilst sitting in his slippers in Chequers, there is a different reality in Brussels.

"I can assure the Prime Minister that there is no such thing as flexibility when it comes to the EU's objective: a deeper federal Europe where member states' sovereignty becomes an anachronism.

"His speech, therefore, was naive. The train is on a one-way track."

Daniel Hannan Eurosceptic MEP

"This is David Cameron's finest speech."

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius

"We are like a football club, and if you want to join the football club, you can't then say you want to play rugby."

Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament

Mr Schulz accused Mr Cameron of "playing a dangerous game for tactical, domestic reasons".

"The Prime Minister increasingly resembles the sorcerer's apprentice, who cannot tame the forces that he has conjured - forces that want to leave the EU for ideological reasons, to the detriment of the British people.

"Attempting to revisit major parts of the Acquis Communautaire and picking and choosing the bits of which the UK approves, sets a dangerous precedent.

"Indeed, it could lead to piecemeal legislation, disintegration and potentially the breakup of the Union.

"In a globalised world, it is not in the UK's interest to seek to downgrade to some kind of 'second class' EU membership and so choose to weaken its own influence on European and global affairs.

"We need a UK as a fully fledged member, not harbouring in the port of Dover."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel

"Germany, and I personally, want Britain to be an important part and an active member of the European Union.

"We are prepared to talk about British wishes but we must always bear in mind that other countries have different wishes and we must find a fair compromise.

"We will talk intensively with Britain about its individual ideas but that is some time over the months ahead."

Guido Westerwelle, German foreign minister

"Germany wants the United Kingdom to remain an active and constructive part of the European Union."

However, he insisted EU membership was an all-or-nothing proposition, saying: "Cherry-picking is not an option."

Ex-Belgian prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader in the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt

"By holding out the prospect of renegotiating the terms of Britain's membership of the EU and subjecting it to a referendum, David Cameron is playing with fire.

"He can control neither the timing nor the outcome of the negotiations and in so doing is raising false expectations that can never be met.

"There can be no question of individual renegotiation or opt-out by a single member state from agreed policies.

"To do so would precipitate the unravelling of the internal market as other countries sought their own concessions in return.

"Mr Cameron will not succeed if he attempts to hold his European partners to ransom."

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hawaii Coastguard Mystery: Missing Man Returns

A member of the US Coast Guard who vanished three months ago has now returned home - confused and unable to tell his wife where he had been.

Petty Officer First Class Russell Matthews disappeared in October leaving behind just an abandoned car.

Despite a 10,000-square mile search of both land and sea along the coast of Hawaii, no trace of the 36-year-old could be found.

His car was discovered at Kaena Point, a remote area of Oahu.

The search for Petty Officer Matthews, who has been in the Coast Guard for 15 years, was eventually called off on December 13.

However, PO Matthews, who is a rescue swimmer, suddenly reappeared at his home on Sunday.

He was incoherent and had to be taken to hospital for treatment, according to the Honolulu Police Department and Coast Guard.

Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant Gene Maestas said the service did not know where PO Matthews had been or what he had been doing since his wife reported him missing on October 9.

He said: "This is not the norm for the Coast Guard. In my 28-year career in the Coast Guard, I have never come across a case like this."

Coast Guard investigators were sent to see him to confirm his identity after he called his employer from a Honolulu medical centre.

Lt Maestas said PO Matthews would not be questioned until he was released by doctors - but the service would be investigating his disappearance.

He said: "We'll try to find out why he disappeared and all the details surrounding his case."

Sergeant Kim Buffett, of Honolulu Police, said detectives had no reason to pursue the case as it was not against the law to be missing.

She said the police case had been closed now PO Matthews had been found.

23.21 | 0 komentar | Read More