An Army CH-60 helicopter has crashed during a routine training exercise and the Pentagon has since indicated that the 11 service members aboard the downed chopper are presumed to be dead.
Officials have indicated that the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, which was reported missing around 9:30 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, was assigned to the Hammond, Louisiana National Guard and that it was participating in an overnight training exercise when the accident occurred.
CNN reported that the helicopter, which was carrying four aircrew members and seven US Marines, went missing during foggy conditions.
Eglin Air Force Base officials indicated that debris from the missing aircraft were discovered around 2:00 a.m. on Wednesday by searchers near the Okaloosa Island, which is within close proximity of the base, according to the base’s spokesman Andy Bourland.
The search team was composed of Coast Guard, Air Force and even civilian agencies who scoured the waters east of the town of Navarre where the chopper was believed to have gone down.
Debris from the wrecked helicopter washed up on both the north and south sides of the Santa Rosa Sound, which is a strip of land connecting a barrier island to northern Florida’s mainland.
In breaking news regarding the crash, KPTV reports that human remains have washed up on the shore of a Florida beach, but despite the remains having been found, the search and rescue mission continues.
Governor Bobby Jindal released a statement on Wednesday which read:
Four members of the crew are part of the Louisiana National Guard. Our guardsmen have fought courageously overseas in defense of our nation, and here at home, they have protected what matters most during times of crisis. […] These soldiers represent the best of Louisiana, and we are praying for them and their families.
In other coverage of helicopter crashes here on Immortal News, two helicopters collided in Argentina leaving 10 people dead. Amongst the deceased were Olympic swimmer and gold medalist Camille Muffat and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine.
