The US Navy has ended a large-scale search operation for a sailor missing after a helicopter crash in the Arabian Sea. The incident began on Wednesday when an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter made an emergency landing; three of the four crew members were rescued.
The three rescued sailors were taken aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush and are in stable condition receiving treatment. The crash occurred in the area of responsibility of US Central Command (CENTCOM), and search efforts for the fourth crew member continued until Sunday morning but proved fruitless.
According to a statement by the US 5th Fleet, the search and rescue efforts lasting more than 102 hours covered an area of over 14,000 square miles. The operation involved helicopter squadrons from the aircraft carriers USS George H. W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln, Carrier Air Wings 7 and 9, two P-8 Poseidon squadrons, and numerous US Air Force aircraft.
The guided-missile destroyers USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, USS Higgins, USS Mason, and USS John Finn also supported the search. The identity of the missing sailor will not be released until the next-of-kin notification process is complete, in accordance with Navy policy.
Military officials reported that there was no indication of any "hostile action" in the incident that led to the helicopter's emergency landing. The cause of the crash is under investigation.