Lloyd J. Austin III confirmed Saturday that a U.S. Navy helicopter from the USS Gerald Ford helicopter wing crashed in the Mediterranean Sea, killing five service members.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III issued a statement on a helicopter crash in the Mediterranean Sea.
Austin noted, in addition to praising the victims, that search and rescue efforts are still ongoing, and the circumstances of the disaster have not been reliably clarified.
According to specialized resources, the disaster occurred approximately 50 miles southeast of the island of Cyprus. It is in this area that work is now being carried out to search and recover debris.