11 US military members presumed dead after crash, says official
12 March 2015 12:44 AM GMT
Seven Marines and four soldiers aboard a US Army helicopter that crashed over waters off Florida during a routine night training mission were presumed dead on Wednesday, and crews found human remains despite heavy fog hampering search efforts, military officials said.
A Pentagon official said all 11 service members were presumed dead and that the Coast Guard found debris in the water. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to speak on the record.
Crews had found some human remains but still considered it a search-and-rescue mission, said Michelle Stewart, a military spokeswoman for Eglin Air Force Base.
The helicopter a UH-60 Black Hawk from the Army National Guard was reported missing around 8:30
p.m. yesterday, and search-and-rescue crews found debris around 2 a.m., said Andy Bourland, a spokesman for the base.
Much of the area was enveloped in fog from yesterday evening to this morning, said Katie Moore with the National Weather Service.
Local law enforcement agencies vehicles gathered Wednesday at the crash scene, near a remote swath of beach owned by the military and used for test missions. From the beach, search boats could be heard blasting their fog horns as they combed the water, but could not be seen through the fog.
A Pentagon official said all 11 service members were presumed dead and that the Coast Guard found debris in the water. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official wasn’t authorized to speak on the record.
Crews had found some human remains but still considered it a search-and-rescue mission, said Michelle Stewart, a military spokeswoman for Eglin Air Force Base.
The helicopter a UH-60 Black Hawk from the Army National Guard was reported missing around 8:30
p.m. yesterday, and search-and-rescue crews found debris around 2 a.m., said Andy Bourland, a spokesman for the base.
Much of the area was enveloped in fog from yesterday evening to this morning, said Katie Moore with the National Weather Service.
Local law enforcement agencies vehicles gathered Wednesday at the crash scene, near a remote swath of beach owned by the military and used for test missions. From the beach, search boats could be heard blasting their fog horns as they combed the water, but could not be seen through the fog.
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