Monday, December 04, 2006

Helicopter Crash Kills Marine; Five Other Servicemembers Die in Operations

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4, 2006 – A Marine died yesterday in the crash of a CH-46 Chinook helicopter in western Anbar Province, Iraq. Three other servicemembers are missing following the accident.

A U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 helicopter from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing made an emergency water landing with 16 personnel on board, including the crew. The accident does not appear to have been caused by enemy action, officials said. Thirteen passengers were accounted for yesterday. During search-and-rescue operations, one Marine was recovered from the water, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. Search-and-recovery efforts are ongoing for the remaining three unaccounted servicemembers, officials said. "Every available resource is being utilized to find the missing servicemembers,"

Multinational Corps Iraq officials said in a statement. Elsewhere in Iraq, four soldiers and a Marine have been killed in two incidents. Two Task Force Lightning soldiers assigned to 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, were killed and two others wounded yesterday in an explosion near their vehicle in Multinational Division North. The two wounded soldiers were transported to coalition medical treatment facilities.

Two soldiers assigned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group and a Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died Dec. 2 from wounds suffered due to enemy action in Anbar province.

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