5 Marines Rescued After Osprey Goes Down Off Coast of Okinawa
It's the second Marine aviation mishap off the Japanese coast in a week.
— -- Five Marines aboard an MV-22 Osprey have been have rescued after the tilt-rotor aircraft went down in waters off of Okinawa on Monday night, local time, military officials said. The rescued Marines have been transported to a medical facility for treatment of their injuries.
"All five crewmembers aboard an MV-22 Osprey with Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing were successfully rescued when their aircraft conducted a landing in shallow water off the Okinawa coastline of Camp Schwab at approximately 10:00 p.m. local time, yesterday, and 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Dec. 13," said a statement released by the III Marine Expeditionary Force based in Okinawa.
The crew was airlifted aboard an Air Force HH-60G helicopter to the U.S. Naval Hospital at Camp Foster in Okinawa where they are being treated for injuries, officials said.
"A formal investigation into the mishap has been launched," the statement added.
The Marine aviation mishap is the second in less than a week in the waters off of Japan.
Captain Jake Frederick was killed last Wednesday after his F/A-18 Hornet crashed 120 miles southeast of the coast of Iwakuni, Japan. That incident remains under investigation.