Two Dead After U.S. Navy Helicopter Crashes Off Virginia Coast

A military helicopter carrying five people went down off the coast of Norfolk, Va., on Wednesday. One person is still unaccounted for.

http://U.S Navy / Via navair.navy.mil

Image of a MH-53E, the type of military helicopter involved in Wednesday’s crash off the Virginia coast.

Two crew members were killed Wednesday when a U.S. Navy helicopter carrying five people crashed in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Virginia.

Four people were transported to a hospital in Norfolk following the crash, and one crew member is still unaccounted for, the U.S. Navy confirmed. Officials are not releasing the identities of those who were killed at this time.

The helicopter -- a MH-53E Sea Dragon -- sent a distress call Wednesday morning while on a routine training mission about 20 miles off the coast of Virginia. It crashed moments later.

The Navy said the first two sailors were rescued within 25 to 30 minutes after the distress call was made, and all four were rescued in less than an hour. The water temperature was about 40 degrees at the time of the incident, WAVY-TV reported.

The incident comes just one day after a U.S. Air Force helicopter crashed in northern England, killing four crew members.

U.S. Navy @USNavy

#BREAKING: #USNavy confirms two fatalities from MH-53E crash off coast of #Norfolk, VA. Search continues for 1 missing.

12:59 AM - 09 Jan 2014

U.S. Navy

@USNavy

#BREAKING: #USNavy confirms two fatalities from MH-53E crash off coast of #Norfolk, VA. Search continues for 1 missing.

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