US Navy suspends search for sailor missing after helicopter crash in Arabian Sea

The US Navy on Sunday announced the suspension of search efforts for a sailor who went missing after a helicopter assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush went down in the Arabian Sea.

The active search was suspended at 3 pm local time (1200GMT) after more than 102 hours of operations, Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) said in a post on US social media platform X.

The sailor, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, was reported missing on Wednesday after an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea.

NAVCENT said the sailor’s name is being withheld until at least 24 hours after notification of their next-of-kin is complete, in line with Navy policy.

The statement said the search covered more than 14,000 square miles (36,230 sq kilometers) and involved US Navy and Air Force assets in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.

The operation included helicopter squadrons from the USS George H.W. Bush and USS Abraham Lincoln, including fixed-wing aircraft, anti-submarine warfare planes, and several guided-missile destroyers.

In its initial statement on Wednesday, NAVCENT said the helicopter’s aircrew conducted an emergency water landing at 3.30 am Eastern Time (0730GMT) on July 1.

Three of the helicopter’s four crew members were recovered and were in stable condition aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, it said at the time.

NAVCENT also said there was “no indication” that the emergency was caused by hostile action.

The cause of the incident remains under investigation.