The Navy has recovered the remains of five sailors who died Aug. 31 after their MH-60S Seahawk helicopter crashed into the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.
The remains and the wreckage of the helicopter were pulled up from a depth of roughly 5,300 feet on Friday, the sea service said in a statement Tuesday.
A team from Naval Sea Systems Command’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving undertook the recovery mission, and the remains were transferred to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, for identification.
The fatal mishap remains under investigation.
It occurred as the Seahawk, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8, was operating off the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.
RELATED
The helicopter “experienced side-to-side vibrations” that caused the aircraft’s main rotor to strike the deck before it fell of the side of the ship, the Naval Safety Center reporter last month.
Those who died in the crash are Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey Tucker, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah Burns, Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class James Buriak, Lt. Paul Fridley and Lt. Bradley Foster.
A sixth crewmember was rescued a few hours after the mishap.
Five sailors on the carrier’s deck at the time of the mishap were also injured, with two requiring evacuation off the ship.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
