HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it was now searching up to 50 miles off Oahu for five soldiers missing after their Black Hawk helicopter crashed during nighttime training. ADVERTISING HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday
HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it was now searching up to 50 miles off Oahu for five soldiers missing after their Black Hawk helicopter crashed during nighttime training.
Swift and dynamic currents prompted the rapid expansion. About 24 hours earlier, the search was focused on waters about 5 miles offshore.
“This is normal and we have the assets, and the resources to plan for it,” Lt. Scott Carr, a spokesman for the Coast Guard in Hawaii, said as rescuers prepared for a third night of searching.
The two pilots and three air crew members on board went missing when their helicopter lost communication with another Black Hawk at about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. The water depth varied across the vast area. Rescue crews were only searching on the surface for the time being.
Airplanes scoured outer edges of the search zone. Helicopters and vessels were searching closer in, about 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometers) offshore. The Army, Marine Corps and Navy joined the search along with Honolulu firefighters and lifeguards.
“Everyone has been resolute and determined that we are going to get after this and bring our soldiers home,” said Lt. Col. Curtis Kellogg, a spokesman for the Army’s 25th Infantry Division. Mario Vittone, a retired Coast Guardsman and expert on sea survival, said the length of the search will depend on the likelihood of finding someone alive.
In colder areas where ocean temperatures are below 60 degrees, a search would be over in 24 to 36 hours even if no one was found. But in Hawaii, where ocean temperatures are often over 75 degrees and air temperatures are also warmer, people can survive longer.
