Navy officials have announced that the mission to locate a missing Marine from the USS Anchorage, involved in training off the coast of Southern California, has shifted to a recovery operation.
The Marine was participating in exercises with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton, alongside the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, when the incident occurred.
The search initially commenced on Thursday but was reclassified as a search and recovery mission by Friday. It involved a coordinated effort with three surface ships and 12 aircraft coming from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force.
The Navy has officially transitioned its efforts from search-and-rescue to focusing on recovery. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
The area covered by the search spanned approximately 2,400 square miles, according to officials.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all who are affected during this difficult time,” the Navy said in a news release this week about the missing Marine.
The Marine’s name was being withheld pending the notification of family, the Navy said.
The search covered about 2,400 square miles, officials said. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Evan Diaz)
The USS Anchorage is an amphibious transport dock ship based at Naval Base San Diego.
This is at least the second time in six weeks that the U.S. military has had to search for missing service members.
The search featured three ships and 12 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force. (GENNA MARTIN/San Francisco Chronicle)
The remains of the second of two U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during military training exercises in Morocco were recovered in May, ending a multinational search operation that utilized air, naval and artificial intelligence assets, the Army said at the time.