Helicopter Crash: 7 Marines, 4 Soldiers Presumed Dead in Fl

[Artful]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/marines-sol...ry?id=29548048

Helicopter Crash: 7 Marines, 4 Soldiers Presumed Dead in Florida

Mar 11, 2015, 11:01 AM ET

Seven Marines and four soldiers were presumed dead this morning after going missing Tuesday when a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed during a routine night training exercise at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, military officials said.The helicopter was reported missing at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and debris was located at about 2 a.m., base officials said in a statement.Mike Spaits, Eglin Air Force Base public affairs officer, told ABC News that “some human remains have been found.”There are no further details released at this time. Officials will be holding a news conference later today.

"There was fog. I do not know at this time if it was a contributing factor, but when our search-and-rescue personnel arrived on scene there was very limited visibility," Eglin Air Force Base spokesman Andy Bourland had said earlier in the day.Bourland said the helicopter did not issue a distress call. Some debris has been located east of the Navarre Bridge and it is expected that debris will continue to appear in the area moving toward the bridge.The Marines are part of a special operations group based at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and the soldiers were from a Hammond, Louisiana-based National Guard unit, officials said.The crew of a second helicopter was recovered and is safe, Bourland said.The accident, which happened during a training mission on a beach between Pensacola and Destin, is under investigation.

http://www.cbs12.com/news/top-storie...id_24117.shtml

Human Remains Found, 11 Service Members Presumed Dead

Story by Shantel Middleton/CBS 12 News
WEST PALM BEACH (CBS 12) -- The 11 members of the military who went down in a helicopter crash near Pensacola are now presumed dead. The military has confirmed that human remains were found near the site of that crash, but they have still not identified the 7 Marines and 4 soldiers now believed to be dead.

They were on a special operations training mission when the helicopter went down. The Marines are part of a Marine Special Operations Regiment from Camp LeJeune. There were two helicopters from a Hammond, Louisiana base on that training mission, but only one safely returned.

People familiar with the area tell us there are beaches there, but the area is also heavily wooded in parts. The Pentagon confirmed fog did play a role in the crash.

The helicopter was reported missing around 8:30 Tuesday night. Debris was found early Wednesday, around 2 a.m. The debris was reportedly found in water.

R.I.P.

[Riverpigusmc]

Fair winds and following seas, my brothers

[nagantguy]

In my time in the Corps helo wrecks and accidents was by far how most died. God bless these men and their families. "And when he gets to heaven to st. Peter he will say another Marine reporting sir I've done my time in hell"

[TXGunNut]

Sad story indeed. These brave men and their families have been in my thoughts and prayers since I heard of the crash, glad the troops in the other helicopter are OK.