US Navy divers have attached two lines to hoist points on a sinking M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle, which was carrying four US Army soldiers who disappeared during a training exercise near Pabradė, Lithuania. The divers made the attachment on Sunday, and an engineering team expects to start winching efforts early this morning.
The vehicle was on a scheduled maintenance mission to recover another US Army vehicle in the training area when it sank into a peat bog. A Rapidly Available Interface for Trans-loading (RAIL) system is expected to arrive on the scene later in the day to assist with digging and pumping operations.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė has pledged that her country will “give everything” it can to find the missing soldiers, who are believed to be lost or confused. The area surrounding the site is challenging due to its swampy terrain, similar to Alaska, and weather conditions.
The US Army’s 3rd Infantry Division is keeping the families of the missing soldiers updated on the search. President Donald Trump was not briefed about the incident. A joint prayer was held at Lithuania’s main church, and a mass was hosted for the missing soldiers.
Source: https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-military-working-recover-70-ton-vehicle-from-lithuanian-swamp-4-army-soldiers-remain-missing