One Marine Killed, Eight Missing in Crash off California

Posted on the 01 August 2020 by Harsh Sharma @harshsharma9619

(Los Angeles) One US Marine was killed and eight others were still missing 19 hours after their sinking amphibious vehicle off the coast of California, the Marine Corps commander announced on Friday.

Posted on 31 July 2020 at 8 o'clock27 Updated at 17 h 49

France Media Agency

Five survivors were recovered and two Marines were seriously injured, on the 16 soldiers who were aboard the vehicle at the time of the accident, which occurred during a routine exercise, said General David Berger during a press conference on the base of Camp Pendleton, in southern California.

The accident happened on Thursday at around 17 h 45 local time (0 a.m. 45 GMT), near San Clemente Island, about 100 kilometers north off San Diego, in southern California, when a unit of the Marine Corps attempted to return to its ship after maneuvering the island in several amphibious assault vehicles, known as “AAV”.

Shortly after their departure, one of the crews reported that the vehicle was taking on water and two other vehicles came to its aid, as did the so-called “safety” boat, which always accompanies this type of maneuvers, explained the commander of their unit, the 1 er Expeditionary Force of the Marine Corps, General Joseph Osterman.

The soldiers were dressed in combat gear and equipped with life jackets, but the AAV, a sort of large floating tank, weighs more than 24 tons and sank quickly more than 300 meters deep, he added.

Among the eight missing are seven soldiers from the Marines, the elite corps of the US Army whose specialty is landing operations, as well as a US Navy sailor who was driving the vehicle, General Osterman said.

The condition of one of the two injured Marines, who was described as critical hours earlier, has stabilized, he noted.

Major operations are underway to find the eight missing, who are still considered potentially alive.

“We are continuing the rescue operations. We have not yet moved on to recovery operations ”for the bodies, underlined General Osterman.

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident and while waiting to learn more, all operations aboard the AAVs have been suspended, said General Berger, who had made the trip from Washington .