The Coast Guard has called off the search for a sailor missing off the coast of Virginia after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed there, killing two other crewmen.
The helicopter, a MH-53E Sea Dragon, was carrying five crew members when it went down in the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday morning off the coast of Norfolk. Four crew members had been rescued from the water, the Navy initially said, but two of the four rescued were confirmed dead later on Wednesday.
A search-and-rescue operation had been under way for the fifth crew member, but on Thursday afternoon, the Coast Guard announced it was calling off the effort.
The announcement came hours after parts of the helicopter were found. U.S. Navy officials said the fuselage, where the missing sailor was likely stuck, had not yet been located, but other parts of the helicopter had been.
The two surviving crew members were taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital; one was listed in serious condition on Thursday, and one in fair condition, according to NBC Virginia affiliate WAVY.com.
None of the crewmembers' identities were released.
The MH-53E was conducting a routine training mission when it made the emergency water landing about 20 nautical miles east of Virginia Beach, a U.S. Navy official said. It was conducting the training mission in tandem with another MH-53E at the time.
