A spokesman for the attorney of Chris Cline is confirming that the billionaire coal entrepreneur and his daughter were among the seven Americans killed in a helicopter crash in the Bahamas.
Joe Carey is a spokesman for Cline's lawyer in West Virginia, Brian Glasser. He says Cline and his 22-year-old daughter Kameron were on board the aircraft when it went down.
Authorities in the Bahamas have recovered seven bodies from the helicopter that crashed as it traveled from the island to Fort Lauderdale.
Cline worked his way up from West Virginia's underground mines to become one of the country's top coal producers and amass a $1.8 billion fortune.
He donated extensively to President Donald Trump and other Republican politicians.
Cline grew up dirt-poor and worked his way up from the state's underground mines to become a billionaire, with a Florida mansion and his own island chain in the Bahamas.
West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney described him as "a very farsighted entrepreneur" with a "Midas touch."
Forbes estimated his fortune at $1.8 billion this year.Â
He also gave at least $8.5 million to Marshall University.
Jaime Nixon is an aviation safety analyst for the Air Accident Investigation Department of the Bahamas . She said a specialized ship was coming from Florida with equipment to pull the helicopter from the water.
The Bahamas Civil Aviation Authority told the Federal Aviation Administration that the Augusta AW139 helicopter was located in the water at about 7 p.m. on Thursday.
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