The United States Coast Guard has confirmed that search efforts for 12 Marine aviators who crashed off the North Shore of Oahu were still ongoing on Monday, January 18.
Air, surface and shoreline assets are actively searching for the survivors and cataloging debris. Of the four life rafts confirmed to be aboard the two aircraft all have been sighted and three have been recovered.
Two assets were working to recover the fourth yesterday, sighted Sunday evening north of Kahuku by a good Samaritan.
There is no indication from the sightings that any survivors have been aboard any of the life rafts.
Over Sunday night a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules airplane crew, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, the Navy warship and the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska searched. On scene yesterday were an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter, a Navy P-3 Orion, and two helicopters from the Honolulu police and fire departments.
A Navy safeguard-class salvage ship, the USNS Salvor, is on the scene with Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1 and Coast Guard Cutters Kiska and Ahi.
On the shoreline, marines and army are scanning the area for survivors.
The USNS Salvor, a safeguard-class salvage ship from the Military Sealift Command, arrived on scene late Sunday from Pearl Harbor to support the Navy Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1’s efforts to conduct an underwater search of the last known position of the aircraft off Haleiwa with sonar and a remotely operated vehicle.
MDSU-1 conducted searches Sunday but did not sight any debris. Anything located in this search can assist search and rescue planners with their analysis of factors and conditions, allowing them to narrow down the search area and maximize the odds of locating the missing Marines.
The cause of the accident is under investigation by the Marine Corps.
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