The US Navy recovered the body of Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards on Tuesday following an emergency helicopter landing in the Arabian Sea.
The 102-hour rescue and rescue effort covered more than 14,000 square miles before the Navy found the missing sailor Sunday afternoon local time, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet wrote in an X post.
The search operation came after one of the U.S. 5th fleet’s helicopters had an “emergency water landing” in the sea July 1.
The Navy uses the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter for anti-surface warfare, combat support, humanitarian disaster relief and organic airborne mine countermeasures, per its website.
The helicopter’s host ship was the the USS George H.W. Bush, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, carrying 5,000 military personnel, according to the U.S. Navy.
The Naval Air Force Atlantic Public Affairs office and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to DCNF’s request for comment.
“The thoughts and prayers of every member of the Carrier Strike Group 10 team are with the Edwards family. While we are far from home, our heartfelt support remains at your side,” said Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10 in a press release.
“Gabe’s legacy as a husband, father, friend and fearless leader will never be forgotten. We are thankful to each who carry a unique and indelible part of Gabe’s memory with us as we continue this important mission,” Cimicata continued.
The Navy’s statement added that the incident’s cause “remains under investigation” and there is “no indication” it was caused “by hostile action.”
(DCNF)