© 2026 ABC News

West Virginia state Sen. Sue Cline, who represents the state's 9th District, confirmed her friend had died in the helicopter crash in a response to Justice on Twitter.

\"Prayers for Family and friends of my great friend Chris Cline and his daughter Cameron and her dear friends who we loss (sic) today in a helicopter crash,\" she wrote. \"Chris was a exceptional human being and we all loved him so much. Such a loss for all 7 aboard today. Our hearts are broken.\"

Prayers for Family and friends of my great friend Chris Cline and his daughter Cameron and her dear friends who we loss today in a helicopter crash . Chris was a exceptional human being and we all loved him so much . Such a loss for all 7 aboard today . Our hearts are broken.

— Senator Sue Cline (@cline2) July 5, 2019

The executive founded Foresight Energy in 2006 when he bought mining rights in Illinois and struck it big. Forbes estimated Cline's worth at $1.8 billion at the time of his death. He was ranked as the 388th-richest person in America in 2017.

Photos: Notable people who died in 2019

Cline was also a supporter of President Donald Trump, a friend to the coal industry. In his 2018 State of the Union address, Trump proclaimed he \"ended the war on American energy -- and we have ended the war on beautiful, clean coal.\"

He donated $1 million to Trump's 2017 inauguration fund. During the 2016 presidential campaign, however, Cline actually donated $1 million to a super PAC supporting Jeb Bush, according to The New York Times.

\"PHOTO:
Bahamas Police Marine Unit and Support Team
PHOTO: Bahamian authorities conducted underwater surveying and mapped the debris field at the scene of a helicopter crash off Grand Cay, in the Bahamas, July 5, 2019.
>

Cline died one day before his 61st birthday.

Marshall University, which Cline attended, named its athletic complex after him following a $5 million donation to the school.

\"Our hearts are heavy with the terrible news this evening of the passing of prominent Son of Marshall Chris Cline,\" Marshall President Jerome Gilbert said on Twitter. \"Chris's generosity to our research and athletics programs has made a mark on Marshall University. I am praying for his family.\"

\"PHOTO:
Bahamas Police Marine Unit and Support Team
PHOTO: Investigators mapped the debris field and conducted underwater surveying at the scene of a helicopter crash off Grand Cay, in the Bahamas, July 5, 2019.
>

Cline also dated Elin Nordegren, the ex-wife and mother of Tiger Woods' two children, for several years.

The billionaire owned a house in North Palm Beach near the mansion Woods used to share with Nordegren. He was divorced and a father of four children.

ABC News' Matt Foster, Darren Reynolds, Brendan Rand, Christine Theodorou, Ben Gittleson, and Conor Finnegan contributed to this report.

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/International/billionaire-coal-executive-chris-cline-dies-apparent-helicopter/story?id=64143888","legacySlug":"/news/story/billionaire-coal-executive-chris-cline-dies-apparent-helicopter-64143888","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"10:21","publishDate":"07-05-2019","updatedTime":"16:57","updatedDate":"07-06-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Investigators conducted underwater surveying and mapped the debris field at the scene of a helicopter crash off Grand Cay, in the Bahamas, on July 5, 2019. Billionaire coal executive Chris Cline and six other Americans died in the July 4, 2019, crash.","credit":"Bahamas Police Marine Unit and Support Team","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/bahama-helicopter-crash-ht-jpo-190705_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"7/5/2019 10:21:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":64143888,"headline":"Billionaire dies in helicopter crash in Bahamas","mediaAssetTitle":"OSBORNE_CLINE_COPTER_CRASH_20190705","description":"Cline and six other Americans were killed.","duration":"2:01","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/07/190706_gma_kiesch_816_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132306053","132266872","132055565"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Billionaire dies in helicopter crash in Bahamas","description":"Cline and six other Americans were killed.","duration":"2:01","uploadDate":"07-05-2019","publication":"07-05-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/07/190706_gma_kiesch_816_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/07/190706_gma_kiesch_816_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/billionaire-coal-executive-chris-cline-dies-apparent-helicopter-64143888"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Billionaire dies in helicopter crash in Bahamas","pubTime":"06:21","pubDate":"07-05-2019","modTime":"12:57","modDate":"07-06-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":64143888,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Billionaire dies in helicopter crash in Bahamas","mediaAssetTitle":"OSBORNE_CLINE_COPTER_CRASH_20190705","videoId":64143888,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/billionaire-coal-executive-chris-cline-dies-apparent-helicopter-64143888"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/64143888","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/64143888","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};