2 Dead, 1 Missing After Navy Helicopter Crashes Off Virginia Coast

By Scott Neuman

Published January 8, 2014 at 11:47 AM CST

U.S. Navy crew members board a MH-53E helicopter in 2011. The Sea Dragon helicopter is similar to the one that crashed off Virginia on Wednesday.

This post was updated at 7:45 p.m.

Two crew members who were rescued after the U.S. Navy helicopter they were in went down in the Atlantic Ocean near Virginia have died, The Virginian-Pilot reports. They were among the four crew members taken to a hospital today. One crew member died soon after being rescued; the second died later Wednesday.

Coast Guard vessels and local law enforcement were continuing to search for a fifth occupant of the giant MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter, which went down about 18 miles east of Cape Henry, Va.

A report of the crash of the helicopter was received around 11:30 a.m. ET, Petty Officer David Weydert told The Virginian-Pilot.

Navy spokesman Cmdr. Mike Kafka says the four who were rescued were taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

The Virginian-Pilot says the cutter Shearwater was just 2 miles away when the crash occurred.