Collision between two Marine helicopters leave 12 marines unaccounted for

The two CH-53s are from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing from Marine Corps Base Hawaii. “It is very hard to find things right now”.

“Thoughts and prayers are with our Marines and their families in Hawaii as search efforts continue”, General Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, said in a message on Twitter.

According to the Coast Guard, responders were conducting search and rescue operations approximately seven miles offshore, and local residents were cautioned about debris in the current. The U.S. Coast Guard is looking for 12 people after the helicopters crashed off the north shore of Oahu late Thursday.

A search was underway Friday morning off the Hawaiian island of Oahu for survivors of a collision between two Marine helicopters.

USMC officials say they lost contact with the aircraft, identified as two CH-53E heavy-lift transport helicopters, also known as “Super Stallions”, at around 10:45 p.m. Thursday.

The mission included four personal rescue watercrafts from Ocean Safety, a Navy MH-60 helicopter from Kaneohe Bay, a Honolulu Fire Department helicopter and rescue boat, Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and HC-130 Hercules airplane, as well as cutters Ahi and Kiska.

It was not immediately clear Friday what caused the crash.

At least two Navy warships, two Coast Guard vessels, multiple Coast Guard aircraft, the Air Force, as well as local police and fire helicopters are participating in an “active search and rescue” operation for the missing soldiers.

A civilian on a beach who reported the crash to the Coast Guard saw the helicopters flying then disappear amid a fireball.

“Captain Kevin Roche is a passionate Marine who loves his family and his country – and we love him”. The wreckage was strewn over a 2-mile area, Marine Capt. Timothy Irish said.

Marine Capt. Tim Irish says the Marines were alerted when two helicopters didn’t return to their base at Kaneohe Bay as scheduled.

Mooers said each aircraft had six people aboard.

“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.

The Marine Corps helicopters were reportedly on a night-time training mission. Devine informed that the U.S. Coast Guard continued the search for survivors in spite of the unsafe weather conditions. They appeared to be searching the area. In 2012, one person was killed and three injured when a CH-53D Sea Stallion made a “hard impact” landing while on a night training flight. The MV-22 Osprey went down in May 2015, with 22 crew members on board.