11 U.S. service members missing in deadly helicopter crash off Florida Coast; presumed dead

11 United States service members remain missing after a late night training mission went wrong. An Army helicopter crashed during nighttime training off the Florida coast, according to Reuters.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Seven Marines and four soldiers were involved in this tragic incident. As remains begin to wash ashore, the search efforts are facing obstacles from the morning fog.

"This is still considered a search and rescue mission," spokeswoman Sara Vidoni said in a statement, withdrawing from details on the remains.

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On the night of March 10, two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters participated in what are known as routine exercises. However, one of the two helicopters crashed near the base 50-miles east of Pensacola, according to base spokesman Andy Bourland.

   
It is unknown if the area's fog affected visibility causing the crash.

Although Vidoni stated it is a search and rescue mission, an anonymous U.S. military official said, to Reuters, "the 11 service members aboard were presumed dead in what could be among the deadliest domestic military training accidents in years."

The Marines involved were from a special operations unit from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

The four air crew members and helicopter were from the Louisiana Army National Guard.

"We are working closely with all parties involved to locate our Marines and the Army air crew as soon as possible," explained Major General Joseph Osterman, commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command.

The names of the missing troops are currently being withheld until the family members are notified, stated Bourland.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families as the search and rescue continues," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.

This week's incident is not the first of its kind; in 2012, seven Marines were killed after two helicopters crashed into each other in a nighttime training exercise at the California-Arizona border and in 2011, seven Marines were killed in a premature explosion at a Nevada munitions depot.

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