Eight troops presumed dead after search ends for missing Marines
A four-day search and rescue mission to find seven Marines and a sailor following a training exercise accident has ended, and the missing troops are presumed dead, military officials announced.
On 30 July, an amphibious assault vehicle containing 15 Marines and one sailor sank off the coast of San Clemente Island, California during a routine training exercise. Eight Marines were rescued, one died and two others are in critical condition at a local hospital.
A search effort to recover the others spanned more than 1,000 nautical miles, the Marines announced. The 26-ton craft quickly took on water and began to sink too far below the surface for divers to reach.
"It is with a heavy heart that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort," Col Christopher Bronzi said on Sunday.
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