U.S. Marines walk on the beach at Waimea Bay near Haleiwa, Hawaii, where two military helicopters crashed into the ocean about 2 miles offshore, Friday, Jan. 15, 2016.
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US Coast Guard officials said that the non-stop five-day search that failed to spot any signs of the missing marines was switched to a recovery operation to locate debris and remains, ABC News broadcaster reported Tuesday.
Various agencies have been searching above water, below water and along the shoreline since the Coast Guard was notified late Thursday by a civilian who saw the aircraft flying and then saw a fireball. Two Marine helicopters carrying 12 crew members collided off the island of Oahu during a nighttime tr… Moe than 21,000 square nautical miles of ocean had been searched as of 8 a.m. Monday, the Coast Guard said.
Three of the four life rafts aboard the helicopters have been recovered and efforts were being made to retrieve the fourth.
“A decision to suspend searching without finding survivors is extremely hard given the depth of its impact and I know I speak for the entire Coast Guard when I say our thoughts and prayers are with Marine Corps helicopter squadron and particularly with families and loved ones of those missing”, said Capt. Jim Jenkins, chief of staff and acting commander, Coast Guard 14th District.
Jenkins said then that any decision to halt the search would involve advance notice to the affected families and the press.
Some of the life rafts were inflated, but it was unclear how they got that way, Mooers said.
An Aircraft Mishap Board has been formed to investigate the crash and will eventually issue findings and recommendations, he said.
“There is no indication from the sightings that any survivors have been aboard any of the life rafts”, Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr said. Matthew R. Drown, 23, of Spring, Texas; Cpl.
Mooers said people have been founds days or even weeks after they’ve been at sea. Survival seems unlikely, Vittone said, but he noted that he doesn’t know all the circumstances.
An Oregon native who married his high school sweetheart six months ago is among 12 Marines unaccounted.
The US Coast Guard started the search operation shortly following the incident, and was assisted by local emergency and police units.
Coast Guard officials initially called the crash a collision between the two aircrafts.
Capt. Brian T. Kennedy, 31, Philadelphia. The Marines are from various states, including Capt. Kevin Roche of St. Louis.
Capt. Steven R. Torbert, 29, Florence, Alabama.
One of the missing Marines is Sgt. Adam Schoeller from Cumberland County. Sgt. William J. Turner, 25, Florala, Alabama. Cpl. Thomas J. Jardas, 22, Fort Myers, Florida. Cpl.
Cpl. Christopher J. Orlando, 23, Hingham, Massachusetts.
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A memorial for the 12 Marines is planned for Friday at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, said Marine Brig.
