Rescue efforts are ongoing in Lithuania as US soldiers continue to search for four missing comrades since March 25. The M88A2 Hercules vehicle they were operating has become stuck in the bog, approximately four meters below the water’s surface and covered in two meters of mud. A Rapidly Available Interface for Trans-loading (RAIL) system is expected to arrive today to aid in the recovery.
The RAIL system, an expeditionary platform used to facilitate offloading in challenging terrain, was requested by engineers to stabilize the ground around the recovery site. US Army soldiers are transporting the system from Kaiserslautern, Germany.
“It’s highly complex trying to get to the vehicle itself with this terrain and mud,” said Brig. Gen. John Lloyd, commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers North Atlantic Division. “We’re dealing with a lot of mud on top of the vehicle and its 70 tons weight in a swamp-like area.”
US Navy divers arrived on site yesterday and will continue diving operations as the recovery mission continues. Rescue workers used sonar to locate the Hercules and secured a subsurface profiler, which was sourced from Lithuania within six hours.
As hundreds of soldiers and rescue workers arrive, the US Army is providing additional support, including warming tents, generators, and life support systems for the families of the missing soldiers.
“We cannot thank our Allies enough for their support,” said Col. Jim Armstrong, commander of 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. “They see our Soldiers as their own, and we’re in this together.”
Source: https://www.europeafrica.army.mil/ArticleViewPressRelease/Article/4139209/press-release-recovery-operations-in-lithuania-march-30-update