U.S. Navy Helicopter Makes Emergency Landing in Arabian Sea, Search Underway for Missing Crew Member

An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the USS George H.W. Bush made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea early Wednesday morning, resulting in three of the four crew members being rescued. The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command reported that the rescued crew members are in stable condition aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, while a search is ongoing for the fourth crew member who remains missing. The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. Eastern time (11 a.m. local time). The military has stated there is no indication that the helicopter was shot down. The USS George H.W. Bush has been stationed in the Middle East since late April and is one of two aircraft carriers currently in the region. As of mid-May, the U.S. had lost 42 aircraft during Operation Epic Fury, not including an Apache helicopter that was shot down by an Iranian drone in early June, which led to U.S. self-defense strikes against Iran.