The military has called off the search for eight missing troops who were aboard an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) off the coast of Southern California when a training accident caused it to sink late Thursday evening. All eight are presumed dead.
Sixteen service members, fifteen Marines and one sailor in total, were on board the AAV when it began to take on water near San Clemente Island, which is owned by the U.S. Navy and is about 80 miles from Camp Pendleton, where the troops were stationed.
Half of the sixteen service members on board were rescued, and of those rescued, one died en route to the hospital. Two others remain in critical condition as of Saturday.
“It is with a heavy heart, that I decided to conclude the search and rescue effort,” said Col. Christopher Bronzi, 15th Military Expeditionary Unit Commanding Officer, in a statement on Saturday. “The steadfast dedication of the Marines, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen to the persistent rescue effort was tremendous.”
— I MEF (@1stMEF) August 2, 2020
According to ABC News contributor Eric Oehlerich, a former Navy SEAL who has trained in that area, “San Clemente is a very challenging amphibious training ground.”
“Night amphibious training is some of the most complex and high-risk training you can do as an amphibious soldier,” he said.
The circumstances of the accident remain under investigation, and all AAV water trainings have been suspended until the cause of the accident can be determined, a military official said Friday during a press conference.
“Our thoughts and prayers have been, and will continue to be with our Marines’ and Sailors’ families during this difficult time,” said Bronzi. “As we turn to recovery operations, we will continue our exhaustive search for our missing Marines and Sailor.”
“The 1 MEF family mourns the loss of the 7 Marines and a Sailor of the 15th MEU. To not have all of the answers right now is heartbreaking,” said Lt. General Karsten Heckl, GC, 1 MEF, in a statement. “Our hearts break for their friends and families. We pray they find comfort during this difficult time.”
Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, CG, I MEF, expresses his condolences to the friends and families affected by the AAV mishap involving 15 Marines and 1 Sailor. pic.twitter.com/2mXARzvsQm
— I MEF (@1stMEF) August 2, 2020
The Associated Press reports that several Camp Pendleton training accidents involving those types of vehicles have occurred in the last decade, but none have been as deadly as the accident last week.
In 2017, 14 Marines and one Navy sailor were hospitalized after their vehicle hit a natural gas line at the camp, igniting a fire that engulfed the landing craft.
And in 2011, a Marine died when an amphibious assault vehicle in a training exercise sank offshore of the camp.
The military will now try to find and recover the bodies of the eight missing troops, reports the news agency.