On Tuesday night, a US Military Helicopter went down while doing a practice mission, just of the coast of Hawaii. 5 crew members were on board and the military has lost contact with all of them. Shortly after the helicopter went down, a rescue mission was launched. However, as of Wednesday afternoon, the crew members had not yet been found. On Tuesday evening, a debris field was found but there have been no other traces of the crew members. However, the "Search And Rescue" team has told media that they are not going to stop until the crew members are found and brought home safely.
The mission goes wrong
On Tuesday night, at around 9 p.m. departed for a routine night-time training mission. According to Lt. Colonel Curtis Kellogg from the 25th Infantry Division, the Training Exercise was to take place around 5 miles off the coast of Kaena Point. The Chicago Tribune reported that the UH-60 Black Hawk was reported missing at around 9.30 p.m. The accident may have had something to do with the clouds and rain that was present that evening. The first helicopter lost both visual and radio contact with the second. According to ABC News, a "search and rescue" mission was launched shortly thereafter.
The 'Search and rescue' mission
At around 11.30 p.m. on Tuesday night, the Coast Guard spotted a debris field, near Kaena Point.
Media reported that the debris field contained a helmet and parts of the helicopter's fuselage. There was however, no sign of the missing crew members.This may also be due to the strong currents in the area. The search continued throughout the night and was still underway on Wednesday afternoon. The search is being conducted by the U.S.
Coast Guard, Honolulu Ocean Safety and Honolulu Fire Department. Both helicopters are being used to search the waters.
According to the Chicago Tribune, an Army press conference was held on Wednesday. An army spokesperson told the press that those on board included two pilots and three crew members. The families of those missing have been informed and are being regularly updated on the search efforts.
The army spokesperson told media that this is still a "search and rescue" mission and that they are determined to bring the soldiers home. The military has also since asked that beachgoers inform them if they find any debris. Our thoughts are with these brave soldiers and their families and we look forward to celebrating their safe return home.
