The search operation is now moving to an operation to find the bodies of the missing members:
Los Angeles:
The U.S. military said on Sunday it had called off searches for seven Marines and one sailor missing at sea for days, saying they were presumed dead.
Military personnel were in an amphibious vehicle that sank in deep water off the coast of California on Thursday during a training exercise.
“It is with a heavy heart that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort,” said Col. Christopher Bronzi, commander of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
During the 40-hour search, Navy, Navy and Coast Guard helicopters, ships and personal watercraft searched more than 1,000 square nautical miles, the Marines said in a statement.
A total of 16 soldiers were in the amphibious vehicle – so far eight have been rescued, but one later died and two more are in critical condition.
The search and rescue operation is now shifting to an operation to locate the bodies of missing service members, Bronzi said.
The accident took place during routine training by the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the San Clemente Island area in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 105 miles west of San Diego.
The vessel, which was more than 1,000 meters off the island’s northwest coast, reported taking on water Thursday afternoon.
The 26-ton amphibious vehicle was armored and designed to transport troops from ship to coast.
At the time, this was returning to an island ship, which is used exclusively by the military for training and as a ship-to-shore firing range.
It sank in several hundred feet of water, which the military deemed too deep for regular divers to reach.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
