Five bodies found after Navy helicopter crashes into ocean, officials say

Update: The bodies of five missing sailors and wreckage of a U.S. Navy MH-60S helicopter that crashed off the Calfiornia coast in August have been recovered, KSWB reported.

Original story: Five people are missing after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 60 nautical miles off San Diego on Tuesday afternoon, officials say.

The MH-60S helicopter, based on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, crashed at 4:30 p.m. Pacific time while performing routine flight operations, a U.S. Navy press release said.

One crewmember has been rescued and a search continues for the other five, the Navy said in a Wednesday morning update. The U.S. Coast Guard is assisting the Navy with the search.

Navy officials said five sailors also were injured aboard the carrier’s flight deck in the accident, KSWB reported. The specific events that lead up to the crash remain unclear, however.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is based in San Diego.

Sikorsky MH-60S Seahawk helicopters entered service in 2002 and are used for combat search and rescue, supply drops, special warfare support and airborne mine countermeasures, Naval Technology reported.

This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 7:12 AM with the headline "Five bodies found after Navy helicopter crashes into ocean, officials say."