I was out on the balcony yesterday, talking to a friend on the phone, when I heard a loud bang. Loud bangs aren't all that uncommon here these days, since they're expanding the nearby port, and 18-wheelers routinely mistakenly drive past the signs telling them not to do so, and they then tip over into the ditches, etc. when they drive into the neighborhood, since the roads down here are not designed for heavy vehicles. The bang was louder than usual, but since there is frequent air traffic overhead with helicopters, small planes and drones, I wasn't all that alarmed until I started hearing the sirens. Apparently the helicopter started falling apart over the neighborhood. Some of the neighbors were outside and saw pieces flying off of it as far as about 5 streets from me, and I'm five more streets to the water, so we were all very lucky. I'm sure the pilot did what he could to avoid crashing into homes. Some fishermen actually were out in the water when it hit, and tried to go over and help, in case rescue was possible, but both on board were killed. Here's a link with more information. The recovery effort is still underway. I was outside earlier trying to get some fresh air while I read, but it was difficult to relax with the helicopters overhead, and knowing what was going on in the bay. I'm sure the families will need prayers. I hope those on board were able to be with their families this Christmas and had a good one.