Summary
Shawn Winrich, vising Hawaii from Madison, Wisconsin, was taking photos of Pearl Harbor when he saw a helicopter "essentially coming straight at us" at a popular tourist destination that attracts thousands of visitors daily.
He switched to video, recording as the helicopter appeared to lose altitude and get closer to the water.
The helicopter crashed about 20 feet offshore, right next to the visitor center's lawn, said Winrich's daughter, Justice Winrich.
Winrich saw three people get out of the helicopter immediately and start swimming to shore.
Local author Allan Seiden was signing books at the visitor center when someone told him a helicopter crashed.
The memorial honors the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on the ship in the Dec. 7, 1941, attack by Japan.
It was the second major crash this year involving helicopters on Oahu.
Twelve Hawaii-based Marines were killed when two military helicopters crashed during nighttime training on Jan. 14 . Both aircraft were CH-53E Sea Stallion helicopters that were part of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463 .
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