All U.S. troops recovered in dual helicopter crash [Archives:2006/922/Local News]

SANAA, Feb. 19 (Agencies) ) All 12 crew members from two U.S. Marine helicopters that crashed in the Gulf of Aden Friday, Feb. 17 had been accounted for by Saturday afternoon. “Information on whether the 10 crew members that were missing survived or died will not be released until 24 hours after their families have been notified,” a U.S. military spokeswoman said.

Two crew members were saved Friday, with one of the injured undergoing surgery overnight, Maj. Susan Romano of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa said. “The other rescued crew member is being observed for inhalation of contaminated water,” Romano added. The two were transferred Saturday to the U.S. military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in southern Germany.

On Saturday, the independent News Yemen web site quoted fishermen as saying search operations for the missing soldiers appeared to have stopped after the bodies were located and recovered. News Yemen reported that local fishermen and coast guards helped U.S. forces retrieve the bodies of American troops whose choppers collided off Yemen's coast. The two helicopters were searching for 23 Al-Qaeda members who escaped from Sana'a Political Security Central Prison on Feb. 3.

Quoting Pentagon officials, CNN television news reported, “There was no indication that hostile fire played any role in the crash of the two CH-53E helicopters. Each of the helicopters was carrying a crew of six.” Romano pointed out that the search-and-rescue mission was conducted by troops from the United States, Djibouti and France. “Troops have located a large portion of a CH-53E helicopter,” she added.
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