Military officials report that the bodies of three US Army soldiers who recently went missing have been found. One soldier is still unaccounted for.
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Per a report by the New York Post, authorities confirmed the deaths of three US Army soldiers on Monday after their disappearance last week. Four US soldiers were conducting a training drill inside an armored M88 Hercules vehicle in Lithuania.
The M88, which weighs over 50 tonnes, sunk in a swamp with its crew still inside. The US Army confirmed the deaths in a press release on Monday. "Three US Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31. The Soldiers, whose identities are being withheld pending notification of next of kin, went missing in the early morning hours of March 25 in their M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle. Search and recovery operations continue for the remaining fourth Soldier."
The Army Vehicle Took Six Days To Recover
The press release explains that law enforcement assisted the US and Lithuanian Armed Forces in finding the missing vehicle. They reportedly found the M88 submerged in a body of water in the early hours of March 26. Divers had to maneuver through mud, clay, and sediment with zero visibility to attach steel cables to the vehicle.
The armored transport was eventually dragged out of a peat bog by two more M88s. They reportedly started losing traction during the two-hour extraction process and required support from several dozers. Multiple agencies combined forces to 'solve the engineering challenge of recovering the 63-ton-vehicle from an area surrounded by unstable ground conditions.'
While the armed forces have recovered the vehicle, Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor stressed that they still have work to do. "Search and recovery efforts are not complete. They will continue until we bring all of our Soldiers home," he said. "Today is a very sad and tragic day. The loss of these Soldiers weighs heavy on me, the hearts of all Task Force Iron service members, and the 3rd Infantry Division. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of these brave Soldiers"
The US Army and Lithuanian authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.
