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SEATTLE - Officials say that one of the three people who died in Wednesday's U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crash in Washington State is from Great Falls.

Airman Adam C. Hoke, 40, has been identified as one of the three crew members who perished when the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crashed in the waters off of James Island, near La Push, Washington. Hoke is single and leave behind one child.

The others killed in the accident have been identified by the Coast Guard as Lt. Sean D. Krueger, 33, of Seymour, Connecticut and Airnan Brett M. Banks, 33, Rock Spring, New York.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, co-workers and friends of the survivor and with those that have lost their loved ones to this tragic accident. Team Coast Guard nationwide mourns this loss," said Rear Adm. Gary T. Blore, Commander of the 13th Coast Guard District.

The lone survivor has been identified as Lt. Lance D. Leone, 29, of Ventura, California who is being treated at a Seattle hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The accident happened shortly before 10am PDT Wednesday morning as the Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter was enroute from Astoria, Oregon to Sitka, Alaska when it clipped a near-shore powerline at LaPush on the northern Washington coast.

The powerline runs from the small village to electrify navigational equipment on nearby James Island across the mouth of the Quillayute River.

Coast Guard officials say that they've launched "the salvage and investigation phase". The investigation includes survivor interviews, witness interviews, and examination of the wreckage and flight data recorder.

This is the worst tragedy for the Coast Guard in the Seattle region since three crew members were killed when a rescue boat capsized on a mission trying to cross the Quillayute River bar in a storm in 1996.