12 Marines missing after crash in Hawaii declared dead

The 12 U.S. Marines who went missing on Jan. 14 after their helicopters crashed off the coast of Oahu have been officially declared dead.

The Marine Corps said the status of the Marines was changed to deceased on Wednesday, following five full days of search and rescue operations, The Associated Press reports. The Marines are: Maj. Shawn M. Campbell, 41, of College Station, Texas; Capt. Brian T. Kennedy, 31, of Philadelphia; Capt. Kevin T. Roche, 30, of St. Louis; Capt. Steven R. Torbert, 29, of Florence, Alabama; Sgt. Dillon J. Semolina, 24, of Chaska, Minnesota; Sgt. Adam C. Schoeller, 25, of Gardners, Pennsylvania; Sgt. Jeffrey A. Sempler, 22, of Woodruff, South Carolina; Sgt. William J. Turner, 25, of Florala, Alabama; Cpl. Matthew R. Drown, 23, of Spring, Texas; Cpl. Thomas J. Jardas, 22, of Fort Meyers, Florida; Cpl. Christopher J. Orlando, 23, of Hingham, Massachusetts; and Lance Cpl. Ty L. Hart, 21, of Aumsville, Oregon.

The two CH-53E helicopters were on a nighttime training mission and never returned to the base at Kaneohe Bay. A civilian standing on a beach reported seeing the helicopters, then a fireball. Hours after the Marines went missing, debris was spotted about two and a half miles off of Oahu.

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