Eight people have been transferred to the aircraft carrier for medical assistance but are in « good condition, » the U. S. Navy said in a tweet.
Eight people have been found alive and are in « good condition » after a U. S. Navy plane with 11 people aboard crashed into the sea off Japan on Wednesday, the military said.
A search-and-rescue mission for three other people continues, the Navy said .
« Our entire focus is on finding all of our sailors, » Rear Adm. Marc H. Dalton said in a statement, adding that the Navy « will be relentless in our efforts. »
The aircraft is believed to have crashed about 500 nautical miles southeast of Okinawa Island at about 2:45 p.m. (12:45 a.m. ET) while on the way to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier.
Eight of the 11 Navy personnel were rescued 45 minutes later before being transferred to the ship for medical evaluation. The aircraft carrier, which is in the Philippine Sea, is part of the Japan-based 7th Fleet.
Search-and-rescue efforts were being conducted by ships and aircraft of the U. S. Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, or JMSDF. The names of the crew and passengers were being withheld until their families can be notificied.
« The Japanese navy is helping us with many, many assets, but we should keep our fellow Navy family people in our thoughts and prayers, » Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said Wednesday during a visit to Naval Support Activity Bahrain, home to U. S. Naval Forces Central Command and the U.
