Odds are slim any of finding survivors will be found amid the wreckage of a Marine Corps UH-1Y Huey helicopter that apparently crashed while delivering aid in earthquake-ravaged Nepal are slim, a senior U.S. military official Marine Corps officials said Friday.
Speaking to media in Kathmandu, Marine Lt. Gen. John Wissler, head of the task force overseeing commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force and Joint Task Force 505, which oversees U.S. relief efforts in the landlocked Asian nation, delivered the grim assessment at a press conference just hours after Nepalese searchers located debris.
"Because of the nature of the wreckage, it is unlikely there are any survivors at this time," Wissler said. "Our prayers are with the Marines and the Nepalese soldiers and their families. We all mourn this tragic loss of life."
The helicopter went down in a remote, mountainous region about eight miles north of Charikot, hampering rescue efforts. Wissler described the terrain — about 11,000 feet in altitude — as rugged and forested.
Nepal's defense minister similarly predicted little chance of finding anyone alive earlier in the day. The UH-1Y Huey, missing since May 12, carried a crew of six Marines and two Nepalese soldiers when it vanished near Charikot.
"They were courageous; they were selfless individuals dedicated to the international humanitarian aid mission here in Nepal," Wissler said. "We are deeply saddened by the discovery of this wreckage."
Relatives of the Marines aboard, who served in Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469, had held out hope that the six-man crew would be located safe and sound.
Nepalese officials reported finding three bodies at the crash site, according to multiple media accounts, but neither Wissler nor a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Command could immediately confirm the claim. If true, a full roster likely will be made public 24 hours after the last of the Marines' next-of-kin are notified.
In a statement released early Friday afternoon, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said, "Our hearts are heavy with grief for the U.S. Marines who perished when their helicopter went down in the mountains of Nepal earlier this week while providing aid to earthquake victims there."
As the search intensified in recent days, Indian and Nepalese military assets joined U.S. personnel. As of Thursday, Marine MV-22 Ospreys and additional Hueys were searching west of Charikot while Nepalese and Indian rescuers looked east. Officials credit Nepalese forces with finding the wreckage, but could not identify the specific unit that found located the site.
Nepal's contribution included three military helicopters, an army battalion, a boat team and a special operations unit. India provided one Mi-17 helicopter for the effort. U.S. aircraft continued to ferry supplies and evacuate the injured even as they searched the region.
Though it's not immediately yet clear who will take the lead in investigating the crash, officials put a four-man pararescue team and one combat rescue officer on the ground after the find.
President Obama also took a moment to honor the missing Marines and Nepalese soldiers before delivering remarks at the 34th annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service in Washington, D.C.
"They went to that remote land to help people who suffered devastating losses in the terrible earthquake," he said. "They represent a truth that guides our work around the world: When our friends are in need, America helps. Sometimes those in uniform get attention only when there is a battle, but they do so much more than that [like] looking out for folks who are vulnerable or having a tough time … and it can involve great risk, great sacrifice."
About 300 U.S. service members are participating in what has been dubbed Operation Sahayogi Haat. The term means "helping hands" in Nepali, officials said. They have helped deliver more than 174,000 pounds of relief supplies, transported over 450 victims and carried out 52 casualty evacuations since the 7.8 earthquake rocked Nepal.
