Red Sea Helicopter Crash Leaves Two Navy Sailors Dead

A Red Sea helicopter crash has claimed the life of two sailors and left three others stranded in the water.

The MH-60S helicopter crashed on Sunday, and three of the five crew members on board were pulled out of the water to safety. Rescue crews could not find the other two men, and after a day the Navy decided to call off the mission.

“Given the time elapsed since the incident, air crew survivability was extremely unlikely,” the Navy said.

Navy officials said they searched an “extensive area” after the Red Sea helicopter crash and found no signs of the two.

Officials said the crash happened when the helicopter was attempting to land on the deck of the missile-guided destroyer.

The sailors killed in the Red Sea helicopter crash were identified as Chief Warrant Officer Jonathon S. Gibson of Aurora, Oregon, and Lt. Cmdr. Landon L. Jones, 35, of Lompoc, California. The helicopter crew men was operating out of the destroyer USS William P. Lawrence, an the men had been stationed together at Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron Six in San Diego.

The other three rescued from the water are said to be in stable condition.

The William Lawrence is part of a strike group sent to the Red Sea due to rising tensions with Syria. The United States has accused Syria of using chemical weapons and is threatening military action.

Navy officials are still trying to determine the cause of the Red Sea helicopter crash but said it was not due to “any sort of hostile activity.”

(Photo via US Navy)