Kaena Point State Park on the island of Oahu, as seen in the undated stock photo above, was closed to the public as search-and-rescue efforts continued for the missing U.S. Army helicopter that went down Tuesday night. (Photo: EJJohnsonPhotography via Getty Images)
HALEIWA, Hawaii ― The Coast Guard on Monday called off the search-and-rescue mission for five Army aviators who went missing last week after an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed 2 miles off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Oahu.
The helicopter was one of two Black Hawks that were on a night training mission off the coast between Kaʻena Point and the Dillingham Airfield near the north shore of Oahu.
“A decision to suspend searching without finding survivors is extremely difficult given the depth of its impact and I know I speak for the entire Coast Guard when I say our thoughts and prayers are with Army helicopter squadron and particularly with families and loved ones of those missing,” Rear Adm. Vincent B. Atkins, commander of the Coast Guard 14th District, said in a statement to HuffPost.
“As we suspend the search we stand ready to support any future operations the Army conducts, and continue to provide any comfort we can for those suffering from this tragic loss.”
A search was launched off the coast of Kaʻena Point immediately after one Black Hawk lost contact with the other helicopter on Tuesday. Search efforts expanded west beyond the islands of Kauai and Niʻihau over the weekend.
The search efforts involved boat, air and shore patrols from the Coast Guard, Army and Marines; Honolulu and Kauai fire departments; Hawaii’s Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services and Department of Land and Natural Resources; and residents of Niʻihau, a privately owned island restricted to public access.
Army officials have updated the missing crew members’ status to “duty status ― whereabouts unknown,” which notes they have not been located and their deaths could not be confirmed.
The Army formally identified the missing soldiers as 1st Lt. Kathryn Bailey of Hope Mills, North Carolina; Chief Warrant Officer 3 Brian Woeber of Decatur, Alabama; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Stephen Cantrell of Wichita Falls, Texas; Staff Sgt. Abigail Milam of Jenkins, Kentucky; and Sgt. Michael Nelson of Antioch, Tennessee.
Two marine helicopters collided during a training in the same area in January 2016. None of the 12 crew members were found, and the Marine Corps declared them dead following a week of extensive searching.
Sgt. Jonathan B. Reeves currently serves as a Marine Corps drill instructor with Platoon 1085, Charlie Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion, at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C. Reeves joined the Marine Corps in September 2009 and became a drill instructor in January 2015. Reeves is a native of Augusta, Ga. About 600 Marine Corps drill instructors shape the approximately 20,000 recruits who come to Parris Island annually into basic United States Marines. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.
The Military Sealift Command fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8) participates in a night underway replenishment (UNREP) with Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) on Sept. 1, 2015. Essex is the flagship of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and, with the embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is deployed in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations.
Chief Master Sgt. Vincent Marler, the 48th Fighter Wing command chief, sprays a mock F-15 fighter jet with water during live-fire training at the burn pit on Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, Sept. 17, 2015. Marler joined the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department training to understand the skills and techniques required to effectively put out an aircraft fire.
A sunset is seen through the nose of a B-25 Mitchell during a military tattoo held at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, Sept. 16, 2015. The “warbird flight” consisted of two B-25 Mitchells, two P-40 Warhawks and a P-51 Mustang.
Marines train Malaysian Armed Forces on the M32 grenade launcher during a Non-lethal Weapons Executive Seminar, Sept. 12, 2015. NOLES is an annual exercise hosted by U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific and is the U.S. Pacific Command's premier multilateral theater security cooperation event for non-lethal weapons.
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilot from the 95th Fighter Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., flies over the Baltic Sea Sept. 4, 2015. The U.S. Air Force has deployed four F-22 Raptors, one C-17 Globemaster III, approximately 60 Airmen and associated equipment to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. While these aircraft and Airmen are in Europe, they will conduct air training with other Europe-based aircraft.
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) leads a formation during a passing exercise with Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces ships on Sept. 22, 2015. George Washington is preparing to deploy around South America as a part of Southern Seas 2015. The eighth deployment of its kind, Southern Seas seeks to enhance interoperability, increase regional stability, and build and maintain regional relationships with countries throughout the region through joint, multinational and inter-agency exchanges and cooperation.
Staff Sgt. Saber Barrera, with 386th Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron firetruck and refueling maintenance, works with a co-worker to replace an engine starter in Southwest Asia, Aug. 27, 2015. The Airmen support Operation Inherent Resolve, which is intended to reflect the deep commitment of the U.S. and partner nations in the region and around the globe to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorist group and the threat imposed on Iraq.
1st Lt. Keith G. Lowell administers OC spray during the OC Spray Performance Evaluation Course on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Aug. 27, 2015. This course is part of the Non-Lethal Weapons Instructor Course, which is only offered once a year to all service members on Okinawa. The instructors for this course travel from base to base to remotely certify service members who don’t have the chance to attend the formal school in Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. Lowell, from Fallbrook, California, is the company commander for Company C, 3rd Law Enforcement Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, III MEF, and will have the collateral duty of non-lethal weapons instructor upon completion of the course.
An M1 Abrams main battle tank provides security during the Combined Arms Company field exercise at Novo Selo Training Area, Bulgaria, Sept. 16, 2015. The CAC is a newly formed armor element supporting the Black Sea Rotational Force.
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