Marine helicopters collide of Hawaii

The Marines went missing 8 miles (13 kilometers) off the coast of Oahu after their two CH-53E helicopters collided during a nighttime training exercise.

The Coast Guard is searching the debris with assistance from a Navy helicopter crew and the Honolulu Fire Department with a helicopter and rescue boat on scene.

Officials are asking people to immediately report any sightings of possible debris from two Marine helicopters that crashed off Hawaii.

The U.S. Coast Guard continued the search for survivors in increasingly poor weather conditions, Marine Maj.

Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Timothy Irish says the search continues for 12 Marines missing after their helicopters went down off Oahu late Thursday.

There was no immediate word on what caused the collision.

A Stayton High School graduate was one of the Marines aboard a helicopter that collided into another Marine chopper off the Hawaiian island of Oahu early Friday morning, according to the Marine’s family.

“We believe the Marines and Coast Guard are doing everything they can to bring Kevin and his fellow Marines home safely and we are grateful to everyone involved in the rescue”, Roche’s family said in a statement.

She expressed concern for the crew as she watched the pounding surf from Haleiwa.

In addition to Coast Guard assets, the search effort includes Navy ships and aircraft, an Army helicopter, the National Guard, along with Honolulu’s fire, police and ocean safety personnel.

The statement says they wait and pray for his return.

The Coast Guard was notified of the crash by a civilian on a beach who saw the aircraft flying then disappear and a fireball.

The U.S. Marines Corps released the names of the 12 missing crew members late Saturday. Hawaii News Now, a CNN affiliate, reported that waves of 30 to 40 feet are expected Friday.

The Marine Corps can confirm there is an active search and rescue for 2 CH-53’s of the coast of Oahu. Scott Carr told NBC News, “Everybody’s putting every available resource they have to try and find survivors from this accident”.

“It was incredibly emotional for me to talk to Michael and just try to handle logistics of where you’re going to stay, what you are going to eat, how you are going to get to and from the airport thinking in the greater scheme of things they may have just lost their son”, Jennifer Magerer of Luke’s Wings told Fox 9.