Country superstar Kenny Chesney mourns the death of his friend who died in a helicopter crash on Monday.
The singer “You Had Me from Hello” took to social media to announce that his friend Maria Rodriguez is one of the victims who died in the Virgin Islands.
“Today I have to say a very strong goodbye to my friend Maria Rodriguez in the Virgin Islands. Maria and others died today in a helicopter crash in St. Thomas. She was a dear friend to me and our island community,” Chesney said. Instagram posted with a series of photos of the buddies flying together in a helicopter.
Chesney said he has been flying with Rodriguez for more than 15 years.
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“We laughed a lot and shared a lot of life together. She was always the first person I saw when I landed, and the last person I said goodbye to when I would leave the island. I will surely miss it. “is fair. to say that I will never be able to go to the Virgin Islands again without feeling the loss of her. She was such a big part of my island life,” his caption continued.
“So goodbye dear friend. I’m sure glad we crossed paths on this side. See you on the other side,” he concluded.
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According to local outlet Virgin Islands Daily News, four people were killed in the crash on Monday.
Kenny Chesney recently opened up about his volunteer efforts to help build an artificial reef off the coast of Florida.
(Erika Goldring / WireImage)
The accident happened at the Preserve at Botany Bay. Attempts to recover a fifth victim are expected to take place.
Virgin Islands Fire Service Director Daryl George Sr. is quoted as calling the area where the helicopter landed ‘bad terrain’.
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Witnesses on the island said they saw the helicopter around 3:15 p.m. Firefighters are working closely with officials from the VI Authority and the National Transportation Safety Board to determine the cause of the fatal crash.