The US military suspended search efforts for a sailor missing since Wednesday after his MH-60S Seahawk helicopter went down in the Arabian Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM)’s Naval Forces announced in an X/Twitter post on Sunday.
According to the US Navy, the sailor was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 of the Bahrain-based US 5th Fleet.
The helicopter conducted an emergency water landing after departing the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) aircraft carrier, the US Navy said, noting that the cause of the incident is still under investigation, though foul play is not suspected.
The search, which lasted more than 102 hours, spanned over 14,000 square miles (22,530 sq.km.) and involved multiple US naval ships, as well as naval and air force aircraft.
The U.S. Navy suspended the active search for a Sailor assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 embarked aboard aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), effective 3:00p.m. AST on July 5, 2026. The Sailor was reported missing July 1st, after an MH-60S helicopter…
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) July 5, 2026
In accordance with US Navy policy, the sailor’s identity will be withheld for at least 24 hours as the deceased’s family is notified.
Three injured sailors in stable condition
Three additional sailors were injured in the crash, all of whom are in stable condition.
Helicopter water landings are particularly dangerous due to a tendency for the top-heavy aircraft to flip upside down upon submersion.
Reuters contributed to this report.
