U.S. military officials have called off a search and rescue operation for three U.S. Marines who were missing after their Osprey aircraft crashed into the sea off the east coast of Australia while trying to land.
Sources have indicated one of the marines now presumed dead was Corporal Nathan Ordway of Wichita, Kansas, per a report from local affiliate KSN News citing Australian news sources.
The U.S. Marine base Camp Butler in Japan said in a statement the rescue operation was suspended on Sunday morning. The military has launched a recovery effort instead, and the missing Marines' next of kin had been notified.
The MV-22 Osprey had launched from the USS Bonhomme Richard and was conducting regularly scheduled operations on Saturday when it crashed into the water. Twenty-three of 26 personnel aboard the aircraft were rescued.
The ship's small boats and aircraft immediately responded in the search and rescue efforts, according to the statement.
The Osprey is a tilt-rotor aircraft that takes off and lands like a helicopter, but flies like an airplane. They have been involved in a series of high-profile crashes in recent years.
The aircraft was in Australia for a joint military training exercise held by the U.S. and Australia last month.
