Navy recovers helicopter wreckage from August crash, along with human remains

The Navy has recovered the wreckage of a fatal helicopter that crashed in August off the coast of San Diego, the Naval Air Forces Public Affairs office announced Tuesday. Five human remains were also recovered, and have been transferred to Dover Air Force Base for official identification.

A team from the Naval Sea Systems Command’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving recovered the remains and wreckage on October 8 off the coast of San Diego, the Navy announced.

On August 31, the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter crashed while it was “conducting routine flight operations” off the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, according to the Navy. The chopper crashed into the Pacific Ocean approximately 60 nautical miles off the coast of San Diego. One crew member was rescued and five went missing. Five other sailors were injured on the deck of the carrier.

The Navy and Coast Guard began a search and rescue operation shortly after the crash. In September, the Navy identified the five sailors who were killed in the crash.

The victims of the accident were identified as Lieutenant Bradley Foster, 29; Lieutenant Paul Fridley, 28, Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class James Buriak, 31; Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sarah Burns, 31; and Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey J. Tucker, 21.

An investigation into the fatal incident is still ongoing.