After days of scouring the thick forest and swampy terrain of Lithuania, three of the four bodies of United States (U.S.) soldiers who went missing during a training exercise have been found.
However, the body of the fourth person is yet to be retrieved, even after intensified search and rescue efforts to locate him.
The soldiers went missing after their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle submerged in a peat bog during a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle.
As gathered, the lifeless bodies of the military men, who belonged to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, were recovered through the collaborative efforts of the soldiers from America and Lithuania, barely a week after they went missing.
It was learnt that the recovery efforts, carried out by both the U.S. and Lithuanian armed forces, involved the use of specialized equipment to stabilize the soft ground in the area and facilitate the retrieval of the soldiers’ bodies.
Some of the specialized equipment utilized to retrieve their remains included Lithuanian military helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial systems, as well as excavators, sluice and slurry pumps, and several hundred tons of gravel and earth.
In a statement issued on Monday, the 3rd Infantry Division General Commander, Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, assured that search and recovery operations are ongoing for the remaining fourth soldier.
“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,” Norrie said.
“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,” he added.
The commander further noted that the U.S. Army and Lithuanian authorities are also investigating the cause of the accident.
