A Marine sergeant originally from Delano, Minnesota, is among those missing after two US helicopters collided on a training mission over Hawaii, family members say.
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The Coast Guard is searching the debris with assistance from a Navy helicopter crew and the Honolulu Fire Department with a helicopter and rescue boat on scene. “It makes finding things incredibly hard”, Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr said.
Both aircraft were CH-53E Super Stallions, the US military’s largest helicopter, and were part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
There was no immediate word on what caused the collision or if any survivors have been found.
Officials say high surf is dispersing the debris and complicating the search and rescue effort.
The U.S. Marine Corps has released the names of the 12 Marines missing after two helicopters crashed off Hawaii. Winds were calm and visibilities were good, according to the National Weather Service. Honolulu lifeguards on personal watercraft are also looking.
– Capt. Kevin T. Roche, 30, St. Louis, Missouri.
The Coast Guard initially reported that the helicopters had collided, but Capt Irish said it was not clear what happened.
A civilian on a beach who reported the crash to the Coast Guard saw the helicopters flying then disappear amid a fireball.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew spotted debris in the water off the town of Haleiwa on the north shore of Oahu but they did not find passengers.
The crash happened less than a year after a Marine Corps tilt-rotor aircraft crashed during a training exercise in Hawaii, killing two Marines.
Two U.S. Navy warships have also been sent to join the search, and local police and fire departments are assisting with helicopters.
“Captain Kevin Roche is a passionate Marine who loves his family and his country – and we love him”, they said. Ty Hart was a 2012 graduate of Stayton High School where he played football, and he was just married six month ago.
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The Coast Guard has sent a helicopter and an HC-130 Hercules airplane to assist with the rescue effort. Our family would like everyone to know this is not about us.
