Helicopter crash off Galveston - One dead - Curt Lewis

Deadly helicopter crash offshore in Galveston

GALVESTON, Texas -- A helicopter with three people on board crashed offshore near Jamaica Beach in Galveston on Monday night, the Coast Guard said.

Two were rescued, but one person died in the crash.

According to the Coast Guard, they lost communication with the helicopter around 7 p.m. and it crashed about 2.5 miles in the West Bay offshore from Jamaica Beach.

The Coast Guard said it was a private helicopter with a pilot and two passengers on board. The Houston Chronicle reports the chopper was being used to transport workers to and from an oil tanker in the Gulf.

The two passengers were rescued and transported to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. It's believed the person who died was the pilot.