US Coast Guard searching for 4 people after helicopter crashes into Gulf of Mexico

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for four people who were onboard a helicopter that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday about 10 miles off the coast of Southwest Pass, Louisiana. 

The helicopter was departing an oil platform in the Gulf when it went down, according to the Coast Guard. The cause of the crash was not immediately released. 

No one had been rescued as of 2:00 p.m. CT, a Coast Guard spokesperson said. 

Southwest Pass is a channel in southeastern Louisiana roughly 80 miles from New Orleans. 

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About 3,200 oil and gas structures are active throughout the Gulf of Mexico, ranging from single well caissons in shallow water to massive drilling sites in depths of up to 10,000 feet. 

In a separate incident earlier this month, the Coast Guard rescued three people who were onboard a helicopter that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico while trying to land on an oil rig about 30 miles south of the Louisiana coast. 

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. 

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