STONINGTON, Conn. — The Connecticut-based Coast Guard Foundation has set up a fund to help the families of the crew members who were killed in a helicopter crash last week in Hawai'i.

The Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter went down while conducting search-and-rescue drills with a 47-foot motor lifeboat.

Three crew members were found and pronounced dead Thursday after the crash. The last crew member, the pilot, is still missing. The Coast Guard suspended its search for him Sunday.

The Coast Guard Foundation in Stonington was founded in 1969 to provide funds for the needs of the Coast Guard Academy and its cadets that are not covered by federal operational funding.

In 1986, the foundation expanded its operations to all Coast Guard members and their families.

The foundation says it hopes the special fund will help families in the future who suffer similar tragedies.

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Information from: The Day, www.theday.com