A search and rescue effort is under way for the 12 missing crew members of two U.S. Marine helicopters that crashed off the coast of Hawaii. Coast Guard rescuers have spotted a burning debris field and at least one empty life raft but no signs of survivors., NBC says.
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“That is moving that debris all over the place”, said Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr.
The aircraft are from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing from Marine Corps Base Hawaii, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.
There’s no immediate word on the fate of those aboard or what caused the accident.
The two Marine helicopters have collided the Hawaiian island of Oahu just after midnight Friday. The wreckage was strewn over a 2-mile area, Marine Captain Timothy Irish said.
Before Orlando joined the Marines, he was a counselor at a surf camp in Hull, Massachusetts, and is a “camp legend”, the South Shore Surf Camp said in a Facebook post. She was concerned about the rough waters. They were conducting a nighttime training mission when the collision occurred, NBC News confirmed.
The Marines said each helicopter had a crew of six on board.
They have not located any personnel at this time and are continuing to search.
Loved ones have identified to CNN three Marines missing, and CNN affiliates have reported on two more missing Marines.
The two CH-53 copters appear to have gone down during a training flight off the Hawaii island of Oahu late Thursday, authorities said.
The initial effort was hampered by dark, cloudy conditions and waves of up to 15 feet, officials said.
The Coast Guard was notified of the crash by a civilian on a beach who saw the aircraft flying then disappear, before a fireball erupted.
Some family members were holding out hope that survivors could be found, while asking for privacy as they waited for updates. They want the families of the missing Marines to know they are there for them, he added.
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The CH-53E is a transport helicopter, capable of carrying small armored vehicles, 16 tons of cargo or a team of combat equipped Marines.
