US Navy suspends search for missing sailor in MH-60S helicopter incident

MANAMA (Bahrain): The US Navy has suspended its active search for a missing sailor after more than four days of extensive search-and-rescue operations. The sailor was aboard the MH-60S helicopter that went down in the Arabian Sea last week, the Navy said in an official statement.

The sailor, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), was reported missing on July 1 after the helicopter went down. The search was officially suspended at 3:00 p.m. Arabian Standard Time on July 5.

“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),” the statement said. The Navy added that the sailor’s identity is being withheld “until at least 24 hours after next-of-kin notification is complete in accordance with Navy policy.”

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

According to the Navy, the search lasted more than 102 hours and covered over 14,000 square miles in the US Central Command area of responsibility.

The operation involved a broad range of US naval and air assets, including the aircraft carriers USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln, multiple helicopter squadrons, Carrier Air Wings 7 and 9, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, USS Higgins, USS Mason and USS John Finn, two P-8 Poseidon squadrons, and multiple US Air Force aircraft.

Earlier on July 1 (local time), the US Navy started searching for the missing crew member after an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea.

In a post on X, the US 5th Fleet said, “On July 1 at 3:30 a.m. ET, the aircrew of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea.”

The US military at that time said there was “no indication” that the helicopter was shot down by hostile action. The Navy said, ” There is no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action”.

During the search operation, three of the helicopter’s four crew members were recovered and were later reported to be in stable condition. It said, “Three of the helicopter’s four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition aboard George H. W. Bush.”

According to CBS News, the USS George H.W. Bush is one of two US aircraft carriers deployed in West Asia since late April. CBS News reported that, as of the last update provided to the US Congress in mid-May, the US military had lost 42 fixed-wing or rotary aircraft during Operation Epic Fury, the military campaign launched against Iran at the end of February.

Earlier in June, a US Apache helicopter was shot down by an Iranian drone, but both crew members were rescued. (ANI)