Tokyo, Apr. 7 (BNA):  A medical transport helicopter fell into the sea in southwestern Japan, killing the patient and two other people, the Japan Coast Guard said.

The pilot and a nurse were rescued by the Coast Guard after they were found in the waters clinging to inflatable lifesavers. The three suffered hypothermia but were conscious, according to the Associated Press (AP).

The helicopter was heading to a hospital in Fukuoka from an airport in Nagasaki prefecture when it crashed.

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

H.K,S.H.A