The chopper was discovered overturned in shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean after a three-hour search, according to US-based media reports, citing the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
US President Donald Trump expressed his condolences late on Friday, saying that Cline was a "great businessman and energy expert".
My deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of great businessman and energy expert Chris Cline, his wonderful daughter, Kameron, and their friends, on the tragic accident which took place in the Bahamas. The great people of West Virginia will never forget them!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 6 июля 2019 г.
According to media reports, citing the police, the identities of the other five crash victims were not immediately known, however, all of were reportedly US citizens.
According to Forbes magazine, Cline began working in coal mines at the age of 15, dropping out of university at age 22 to enter the coal industry.
Cline bet big in the early 2000s, buying up high-sulfur coal reserves in Illinois in the ultimately mistaken belief that new tech could make the dirty fuel cleaner to burn, according to Forbes.
Cline was reportedly considered responsible for attempting to revive the coal industry in Illinois. Bloomberg previously dubbed Cline the "New King Coal".