UPDATED: Three Crew Members Of U.S. Army Engineering Vehicle That Sank In Lithuanian Bog Found Dead
The U.S. Army says that three crew members of a M88 Hercules engineering vehicle that sank in a boggy area on March 25 have been found dead after the recovery of the vehicle.
The identities of the soldiers are being withheld prior to notification of their families, while the Army says search and recovery operations are continuing for the fourth soldier. All four are soldiers of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division.
Lithuanian defense minister Dovilė Šakalienė said the M88 was removed from the boggy area at 4:30AM Monday local time after tow lines were attached to the sunken vehicle. Two M88s were used to extricate the sunken Hercules, with two bulldozers used as anchor points for the removal effort due to the wet and marshy soil around the site. “If pulling out (the M88) does not give all the answers, the work will have to go on”, she said, adding that the United States will be making any announcements regarding the missing crew members.
“The Soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just Soldiers – they were a part of our family. Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, 3rd Inf. Div. commanding general. “We stand in grief with the families and loved ones of these extraordinary ‘Dogface Soldiers’ during this unimaginable time. But the search isn’t finished until everyone is home. Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found.”
The M88 Hercules was located submerged in a boggy area of the Pabradė Training Area on March 26, after it and its crew of four soldiers were reported missing in the early hours of March 25. The Hercules and its crew had been dispatched on a maintenance mission to recover another U.S. Army vehicle in the training area during scheduled unit training at the time of its disappearance.
Lithuanian authorities, the Lithuanian Army, and the U.S. Army have worked together since the vehicle’s discovery to drain away and remove the mud surrounding the vehicle, with the U.S. Army estimating that it was submerged approximately 15 feet under mud and water when located. “The area around the site is incredibly wet and marshy and doesn’t support the weight of the equipment needed for the recovery of the 70-ton vehicle without significant engineering improvements,” said the U.S. Army in a Friday statement. “Draining the area has been slow and difficult due to ground water seepage.”
Lithuania’s Inland Waterway Authority delivered the most powerful dredging machine in the country to the site on Friday, with the Nemunaitis dredger used to remove the deep mud that covered the M88. According to the U.S. Army, other assets used in the recovery effort include a large capacity slurry pump, cranes, more than 30 tons of gravel, as well as subject matter experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a U.S. Navy Seabee dive team.