

Multiple readers have contacted us with questions about a helicopter (or maybe two) that appears to be circling various areas between Hwy 36 and Salmon Creek west of Miranda. The first reports came in about 9:30 p.m. in the Hwy 36 area, several residents in Rio Dell also report seeing one or two helicopters and one was most recently heard about 10:10 p.m. in the Salmon Creek area.

We’re curious if any of you have answers or sightings

UPDATE 10:29 p.m.: We’re getting reports as far south as Leggett. Some readers claim to have heard five or more helicopters.

UPDATE 10:44 p.m.: The helicopter(s) have been sighted clear up by Brookings, Oregon. The Del Norte and Curry County Scanner Feed has commenters describing various sightings.

We’ve contacted the Coast Guard but the Coast Guard Public Affairs Office in Humboldt Bay does not know why there would be helicopters in the area.

UPDATE 9:12 a.m. Sunday: Heads up, Humboldt and beyond. There may be more helicopters. Humboldt County Airport Manager Emily Jacobs tells us that last night’s helicopter overflight was part of military maneuvers. And she confirmed that there may be more today. “The Apaches are not coming back through,” Jacobs said. “There may be two Chinooks coming through this afternoon to refuel.”

Let us know if you see them!

UPDATE 1:06 p.m. Sunday: Five “black hawk helicopters” were spotted by a reader flying over Fern Canyon from the north about 1 p.m. And about 40 minutes before that, the reader saw another one headed south.

UPDATE 1:23 p.m. Sunday: Another reader reports, three “military helicopters” in the Trinidad area around 1:15 p.m.

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Image by Jetijones (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons