The U.S. Navy has declared 5 lacking sailors useless and shifted from rescue to restoration operations, days after a Navy helicopter crashed within the ocean off Southern California on Tuesday.
The names of the sailors won’t be launched till their subsequent of kin have been notified, in keeping with a Saturday assertion from the U.S. Navy.
One sailor was rescued shortly after the MH-60S helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon and was in secure situation at a San Diego hospital, in keeping with a press release from the Navy’s Pacific fleet.
5 sailors on the plane service USS Abraham Lincoln, the place the helicopter was working earlier than the crash, have been additionally injured. Two of them have been handled at a San Diego hospital whereas three have been handled on website for minor accidents.
The transition to restoration operations for the opposite 5 sailors comes after 72 hours of search and rescue efforts utilizing 5 search helicopters.
The Navy has not launched particulars of how the crash occurred however stated an investigation is underway.
The helicopter concerned within the crash was conducting “routine flight operations” when it crashed, in keeping with Saturday’s assertion. The MH-60S helicopter often carries 4 crew members and is utilized in fight assist, humanitarian catastrophe reduction, and search and rescue operations.
Contributing: The Related Press
Contact Information Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or comply with her on Twitter at @christinetfern.