The Navy has ended its rescue efforts for three sailors who have been missing since Wednesday when a C-2 “Greyhound” crashed in the Pacific Ocean while flying to the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our lost shipmates and their families,” Rear Adm. Marc Dalton, Commander, Task Force 70, said in a Thursday news release. “As difficult as this is, we are thankful for the rapid and effective response that led to the rescue of eight of our shipmates, and I appreciate the professionalism and dedication shown by all who participated in the search efforts.”
The aircraft took off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, on a routine transport flight to the Reagan in the Philippine Sea when it went down with 11 people on board. Eight sailors were rescued and are currently in good condition, U.S. Pacific Fleet announced on Thursday.
For two days, the Reagan led U.S. and Japanese ships and aircraft, which searched nearly 1,000 square nautical miles for the missing sailors, a Pacific Fleet news release says. The three sailors’ names are being withheld until their next of kin are notified.
The plane went down about 90 miles northwest of Okinotorishima, a Japanese atoll. Wednesday marked the first fatal C-2A crash in more than 40 years. In 1973 a C-2A lost both lost both engines and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, killing seven of 10 on board.
