At least two Alabama residents are among the dozen Marines missing after two military helicopters collided off the coast of Hawaii Thursday.
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Volatile weather hampered the search Saturday for 12 Marines who were on two helicopters that crashed in mid-air off the coast of Hawaii the day before, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Rescuers are searching choppy waters where debris was sighted after two Marine Corps helicopters crashed off the Hawaiian island of Oahu during a nighttime training mission.
The Marine Corps hasn’t released the names of the missing servicemen.
– Cpl. Christopher J. Orlando, 23, Hingham, Massachusetts. The wreckage was strewn over a two-mile area, Marine Capt. Timothy Irish said.
Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Sara Mooers told The Associated Press that the Marine Corps reported a collision of two helicopters off the coast just before midnight, or 5 a.m. EST.
“The aircraft are from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 463, Marine Aircraft Group 24, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing from Marine Corps Base Hawaii”, a Marine Corps statement said.
A Coast Guard spokeswoman said search conditions have been challenging because of darkness and high surf.
Sgt. Josh Turner, 25, of Covington County, was identified by a family member in reports from KHNL-TV (HawaiiNewsNow), Raycom Media’s Honolulu NBC affiliate.
National Weather Service meteorologist Derek Wroe said Saturday that the surf peaked Friday afternoon and is slowly declining.
The helicopters normally carry four crew members, but this particular flight also carried one or two instructor trainers, Irish said.
Ty Hart, a 21-year-old from OR, was in one of the helicopters, the Oregonian reported Friday night.
“We believe the Marines and Coast Guard are doing everything they can to bring Kevin and his fellow Marines home safely, and we are grateful to everyone involved in the rescue”, said a family statement distributed by brother-in-law Anthony Kuenzel in St. Louis.
“We are urging people to stay out of the water and off the beaches due to debris that could pose potential risk and cause serious bodily harm”, Lt. Carr said.
Three teams of 10 Marines each are combing the shoreline for any debris that may wash up.
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Searchers, in their initial survey of the area, spotted a fire, a debris field and an empty life raft 2 ½ miles off the coast, near the town of Haleiwa, but no sign of survivors. Irish says he doesn’t know whether it was a collision because the investigation hasn’t been completed.
