UPDATE: As of 20 Jan 2016 The US DOD has called off the Search. Please take a moment of Pause and Remember these 12 missing Marines.
A civilian who saw the aircraft flying then disappears and a fireball notified the Coast Guard late Thursday of the crash. Someone else reported a flare in the sky, Carr said. It was not clear if the fireball and the flare were the same
The Marine Helicopters involved in the crash were two CH53 super Stallions, carrying six crewmembers each. Within 2 hours Coast Guard C-130’s and Helicopters spotted a 2-½ mile debris field off the coast of Oahu.
A Multi agency force has arrived on scene scouring the debris field for hope of finding hope of life. The Navy immediately jumped in offering a P-3 Orion, SH-60’s and two warships. There are also two Coast Guard cutters, to compliment their array of helicopters. The Army, Honolulu police, Lifeguard, have also all gotten involved to help search. They have also cleared thirty miles of shoreline with concerns over debris in the water, putting people on station to gather anything that may be found.
Unfortunately a 1500-mile storm impacted the search field severely impacting the search yesterday. Seas rose to a reported thirty feet, and sending large crashing waves towards shore widening the chances of debris injuring someone or being lost.
The Search resumed this morning with no new leads. There is still a slim chance for hope as the el-Niño waters could allow a conscious person to survive much longer than in colder waters.
On Saturday the US Marine Corps released the names of the Crewmembers:
— Maj. Shawn M. Campbell, 41, College Station, Texas.
— Capt. Brian T. Kennedy, 31, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
— Capt. Kevin T. Roche, 30, St. Louis, Missouri.
— Capt. Steven R. Torbert, 29, Florence, Alabama.
— Sgt. Dillon J. Semolina, 24,Chaska, Minnesota.
— Sgt. Adam C. Schoeller, 25, Gardners, Pennsylvania.
— Sgt. Jeffrey A. Sempler, 22, Woodruff, South Carolina.
— Sgt. William J. Turner, 25, Florala, Alabama.
— Cpl. Matthew R. Drown, 23, Spring, Texas.
— Cpl. Thomas J. Jardas, 22, Fort Myers, Florida.
— Cpl. Christopher J. Orlando, 23, Hingham, Massachusetts.
— Lance Cpl. Ty L. Hart, 21, Aumsville, Oregon.
Take time today and have moment of silence, pray, pour one out do what you do to honor these fine gentlemen. Simply because they did not fall in an Act of War does not mean we should forget.
-Travis