Seven Marines, One Sailor Presumed Dead After Training 'Mishap'

Seven U. S. Marines and one sailor were presumed deceased after they went missing during a training “mishap” off California’s southern coast Thursday, NBC News reported.

“The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group concluded their search and rescue operation after an extensive 40-hour search for the service members,” officials said in a press release on Saturday, according to the outlet.

The 15th MEU and the ARG leadership determined that there was little probability of a successful rescue given the circumstances of the incident.

On July 30, 15 Marines and one Sailor were participating in a routine training exercise off the coast of San Clemente Island, California, when the amphibious assault vehicle they were riding in, began to take on water and sank. Of the 16 service members, eight Marines were rescued, one died and two others are in critical condition at a local hospital.

“Two amphibious assault vehicles and a safety boat were nearby. Some of the rescued Marines were found bobbing in the water after successfully deploying floatation devices, which all on board had been equipped with,” Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman noted.

In a tweet Sunday, 38th Commandant of the U. S. Marine Corps David H. Berger expressed his sadness regarding the news.

“This difficult decision was made after all resources were e... (Read more)

Tweets mentioned:

https://twitter.com/CMC_MarineCorps/status/1289878994914103299

https://twitter.com/CMC_MarineCorps/status/1289879358333624322

https://twitter.com/USMC/status/1289677717663711234

Latest News