Four US Army soldiers based in Georgia went missing on Tuesday while operating a M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle during a training exercise near Pabradė, Lithuania. The 70-ton vehicle was found submerged in water and mud.
The search has shifted from rescue to a complex recovery mission due to the area’s wet and marshy conditions. Crews are working around the clock to drain the site, but progress is slow and difficult. Additional assets, including a large capacity slurry pump, cranes, and subject matter experts from the US Army Corps of Engineers, have been deployed.
The Polish Armed Forces have also volunteered military engineers with equipment and personnel, while a US Navy dive crew is expected to arrive by Saturday. Maj Gen Curtis Taylor said the operation will be “long and difficult,” but the soldiers’ recovery is a top priority.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene described the situation as “complicated” and emphasized the close relationship between Lithuania and the US military, calling them “family.”
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/search-4-missing-us-soldiers-now-recovery-mission/story?id=120213394