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Sailor missing in Arabian Sea after Norfolk-based USS George HW Bush helicopter goes down; three rescued: Navy

Top Stories: Wednesday, July 1
Daily Operations Aboard USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)
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Three members of a four-person MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter crew were rescued at sea after an "emergency water landing" in the Arabian Sea early Wednesday morning, according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.

A search continues for the fourth and final crew member.

There is "no indication" the helicopter was shot down by hostile action, the military said. The helicopter is assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush.

"Three of the helicopter's four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition aboard George H. W. Bush," U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said. "U.S. Navy assets in the region are currently searching for [the] other aircrewman still missing."

The USS George H.W. Bush has been in the Middle East since late April. It is one of two aircraft carriers remaining in the region. While the U.S. has rescinded its blockade of vessels traveling into and out of the Strait of Hormuz, it still has a sizable military presence.

The U.S. had lost 42 fixed-wing or rotor aircraft in Operation Epic Fury as of mid-May, the last time an update was given to Congress.

That does not include the U.S. Apache helicopter shot down by an Iranian drone in early June. The two crew members on that helicopter were able to be rescued. That incident precipitated the U.S. to undertake "self-defense strikes" against Iran.

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