Wreckage from Florida Helicopter Crash Found, Mission Now 'Search and Recovery'

Aydin Bacak/iStock/Thinkstock(EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.) — Officials at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base said on Thursday that wreckage of a helicopter that had been presumed crashed was located, and that the mission would transition into being a search and recovery.

On Wednesday, two helicopters were scheduled to take part in an insertion and extraction exercise. Weather served as an obstacle, forcing one helicopter to return home. The second helicopter attempted to do the same, trying to climb, perhaps to avoid heavy fog, but communication was lost.

There were seven Marines and four soldiers on board the helicopter.

“At this point, we are not hopeful for survivors,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family members and the units where our soldiers and Marines call home.”

The Louisiana National Guard acknowledged that two soldiers involved in the training accident had been killed and their bodies had been recovered. “We believe the other two remain with the aircraft,” it said.


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