U.S. Navy Suspends Search for Missing Sailor After MH-60S Crash in Arabian Sea

The U.S. Navy suspended its active search for a sailor missing after an MH-60S helicopter crashed into the Arabian Sea, with the Fifth Fleet press service saying the search was halted as of July 5.

The Navy said the sailor has been missing since July 1 and that during more than 102 hours of searching the military examined an area of over 14,000 square miles (36,259 square km).

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The sailor was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 and embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, according to the U.S. 5th Fleet.

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said the active search was suspended Sunday at 8 a.m. ET (3 p.m. Arabian Standard Time).

The Navy said there was no indication the emergency landing was the result of “hostile action,” and the cause of the incident remains under investigation.

The search-and-rescue effort involved U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force assets in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, with the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command saying the efforts concluded following an extensive search.

The Navy said the sailor was one of four onboard the MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, which made an emergency water landing around 3:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday and was assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.

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Three of the helicopter’s four crew members were recovered and were in stable condition aboard the Bush, while the missing sailor’s name was withheld until at least 24 hours after next-of-kin notification is complete.

The search used aircraft from Carrier Air Wings 7 and 9, helicopter squadrons from the USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln, and two P-8 Poseidon squadrons, according to the U.S. Navy and Air Force description of the operation.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the sailor was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 of the Bahrain-based U.S. 5th Fleet and that the cause of the incident is still under investigation, though foul play is not suspected.

The Navy emphasized that the sailor’s name would be withheld until at least 24 hours after next-of-kin notification is complete in accordance with Navy policy, even as the search was suspended.

Stars and Stripes said the update did not provide any further details about the cause of the crash, while noting that the cause of the incident is under investigation.

The U.S. Navy said the search concluded after 102 hours of extensive and coordinated rescue efforts over 14,000 square miles, and that it used helicopters, fixed wing aircraft, and several guided-missile destroyers.

The Detroit News likewise said the Navy and Air Force searched for the sailor reported missing on July 1 after the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter went down in the Arabian Sea, and that three others were wounded when the helicopter made an emergency landing.

The incident remains a developing case for U.S. Central Command, with the Navy stating there was no indication the emergency landing was caused by “hostile action” and that the cause of the mishap is under investigation.