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US Navy suspends active search for sailor in Arabian seas
U.S. Naval Forces Central Command posted on X: "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.
According to FOX News, the U.S. Navy has suspended its active search for a sailor who went missing Wednesday after an MH-60S helicopter crashed in the Arabian Sea.
Dig deeper:
The search effort, conducted by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force under U.S. Central Command, ended after an extensive operation to locate the missing service member.
What they're saying:
"The efforts concluded following an extensive search by the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility," U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a post on social media. "The Sailor’s name is being withheld until at least 24 hours after next-of-kin notification is complete in accordance with Navy policy."
The backstory:
The sailor was assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 and was serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, according to the U.S. 5th Fleet. Officials announced that the active search was suspended at 8 a.m. ET (3 p.m. Arabian Standard Time) on Sunday.
Timeline:
"For more than 102 hours, an extensive and coordinated search and rescue effort spanning over 14,000 square miles was conducted," the U.S. 5th Fleet said in a statement.
The search involved Navy and Air Force aircraft, including planes from Carrier Air Wings 7 and 9, helicopter squadrons assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln, two P-8 Poseidon squadrons and multiple U.S. Air Force aircraft.
Several Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers also took part in the operation, including the USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, USS Higgins, USS Mason and USS John Finn.
The incident began around 3:30 a.m. ET Wednesday when an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea. Three of the helicopter's four crew members were rescued and were in stable condition aboard the carrier, officials said.
Military officials said there is no indication the emergency landing was the result of "hostile action."
What's next:
The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
The Source: This story is based on reporting from FOX News and information released by the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. This story was reported from Los Angeles.