Navy Declares 5 Sailors Dead After Helicopter Crash

U.S.|5 Missing Sailors Declared Dead After Helicopter Crash

Five sailors were declared dormant connected Saturday, 4 days aft a U.S. Navy chopper crashed disconnected the seashore adjacent San Diego, subject officials said.

The Navy said rescuers searched for the sailors for much than 72 hours. The sailors had been missing since the helicopter, an MH-60S, crashed into the oversea astatine 4:30 p.m. section clip connected Tuesday, the Navy said successful a statement.

Five hunt helicopters, the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, the U.S.S. Cincinnati and vessels from the Coast Guard tried to find the sailors, who were portion of the Navy’s Third Fleet. The Navy said it was trying to retrieve their bodies.

The sailors had been flying successful the helicopter, which was operating connected the platform of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class craft carrier, earlier the chopper crashed.

Navy officials connected Sunday identified the sailors arsenic Lt. Bradley A. Foster, 29, a aviator from Oakhurst, Calif.; Lt. Paul R. Fridley, 28, a aviator from Annandale, Va.; James P. Buriak, 31, a second-class Naval aerial crewman from Salem, Va.; Sarah F. Burns, 31, a second-class infirmary corpsman from Severna Park, Md.; and Bailey J. Tucker, 21, a third-class infirmary corpsman from St. Louis.

Navy officials said the chopper was conducting “routine formation operations” astir 60 nautical miles disconnected the coast.

One sailor who was rescued from the chopper was successful unchangeable information connected Wednesday, the Navy said. Five sailors who were aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln astatine the clip of the clang besides were injured and were successful unchangeable information connected Wednesday, the Navy said. The Navy did not accidental however those sailors were injured.

Two were taken ashore for treatment, portion the different 3 remained connected the bearer and were treated for insignificant injuries, the Navy said.

The MH-60S is simply a exemplary that has been successful usage since 2002, according to the Naval Air Systems Command.

The 14,000-pound chopper has a scope of 245 nautical miles and tin scope a apical velocity of 180 knots, according to the command. The Navy has much than 250 MH-60S helicopters successful use, the bid said.

MH-60S helicopters are utilized for an array of purposes, including “vertical replenishment, combat hunt and rescue, peculiar warfare enactment and airborne excavation countermeasures” according to Naval Technology, a website that reports connected subject equipment.

Alyssa Lukpat contributed reporting.