Marine Corps releases names of missing Marines from crash
HONOLULU (AP) - The latest in the crash of two Marine helicopters off Hawaii (all times local):
6 p.m.
The U.S. Marine Corps has released the names of the 12 Marines missing after two helicopters crashed off Hawaii. They are:
- Maj. Shawn M. Campbell, 41, College Station, Texas.
- Capt. Brian T. Kennedy, 31, Philadelphia.
- Capt. Kevin T. Roche, 30, St. Louis.
- Capt. Steven R. Torbert, 29, Florence, Alabama.
- Sgt. Dillon J. Semolina, 24,Chaska, Minnesota.
- Sgt. Adam C. Schoeller, 25, Gardners, Pennsylvania.
- Sgt. Jeffrey A. Sempler, 22, Woodruff, South Carolina.
- Sgt. William J. Turner, 25, Florala, Alabama.
- Cpl. Matthew R. Drown, 23, Spring, Texas.
- Cpl. Thomas J. Jardas, 22, Fort Myers, Florida.
- Cpl. Christopher J. Orlando, 23, Hingham, Massachusetts.
- Lance Cpl. Ty L. Hart, 21, Aumsville, Oregon.
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3:30 p.m.
The family of one of 12 Marines missing after two helicopters crashed off Hawaii is thanking people for their prayers.
The Massachusetts State Police released a statement from Cpl. Christopher Orlando's family on Saturday.
It says Orlando is a 23-year-old flight crew chief from Hingham, Massachusetts.
The family says it's monitoring the search effort and is thankful for the hard work of search and rescue crews.
The Coast Guard says the search area has been expanded to include waters off Waianae in addition to Oahu's north shore.
Two helicopters each carrying six Marines went down off Oahu's north shore late Thursday.
The Coast Guard initially said the choppers collided. But Marine spokesman Capt. Timothy Irish says he's not sure they collided because an investigation into the crash hasn't been completed.
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1:45 p.m.
Teams are expanding their search for 12 Marines missing after a helicopter crash to include Oahu's western coast.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Saturday the search now covers waters off Waianae in addition to the north shore.
Officials say high surf is dispersing the debris and complicating the search and rescue effort.
A Navy P-3 airplane is scouring the ocean, along with helicopters from the Coast Guard, Army, Navy and Honolulu police and fire departments. Two Navy warships and two Coast Guard cutters are on the scene. Honolulu lifeguards on personal watercraft are also looking.
Two helicopters each carrying six Marines went down off Oahu's north shore late Thursday.
The Coast Guard initially said the choppers collided. But Marine spokesman Capt. Timothy Irish says he's not sure they collided because an investigation into the crash hasn't been completed.
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10:45 a.m.
High surf is declining on Oahu's north shore as search and rescue efforts continue for 12 Marines missing after their helicopters crashed.
National Weather Service meteorologist Derek Wroe said Saturday that the surf peaked Friday afternoon and is slowly declining. However, a high surf warning remains in effect.
Wroe says a storm about 1,500 miles to the north and northwest of Oahu was sending large swells to the islands.
Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr said Friday that the high surf made the search and rescue effort "incredibly difficult." He says the swells were dispersing crash debris.
Two helicopters each carrying six Marines went down off Oahu's north shore late Thursday.
The Coast Guard initially said the choppers collided. But Marine spokesman Capt. Timothy Irish says he's not sure they collided because an investigation into the crash hasn't been completed.
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10 a.m.
Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Timothy Irish says the search continues for 12 Marines missing after their helicopters went down off Oahu late Thursday.
He said Saturday that the search will likely last for several more days.
Three teams of 10 Marines each are combing the shoreline for any debris that may wash up.
Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr said Thursday that search and rescue crews found military aircraft debris across a wide section of ocean off Oahu's North Shore. He says high surf was dispersing the debris.
The Coast Guard initially reported the choppers had collided. Irish says he doesn't know whether it was a collision because the investigation hasn't been completed.