The remains of seven Marines and a sailor lost when their amphibious car sank near San Clemente Island have been recovered and will be transported to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for preparation for burial, the Marines said late Friday.
The sunken attack amphibious car was also recovered from the seabed, officials said. The land force was found Monday in 385 feet of water.
“Our hearts and minds of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are with the families of our recovered Marines and Sailor,” said Col. Christopher Bronzi, commander of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in a statement. “We hope the successful recovery of our fallen warriors brings some comfort.”
Nine opponents died in the crash – one was recovered at the time of the sinking, while the others fell with the ship.
The sailors and sailors of Battalion Landing Team 1/4, based at Camp Pendleton, train with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group at San Clemente Island on July 30th. Her attacking amphibious car began taking water on her way back to the Somerset transport dock at 5.45pm, according to the Marine Corps.
There were 16 service providers on the ship that sank. Five were rescued and returned to Somerset, two were hospitalized and one, Lance Cpl. Guillermo Perez, 20, was pronounced dead at the scene. A two-day search followed for the eight missing men. Sunday, the search was stopped and they were killed.
The lost Marines and sailors ranged in age from 18 to 23 and include a new father, a sailor who was soon married and two Marines who were 18.
On Monday, the Navy’s Undersea Rescue Command found the 26-ton car over a mile off the coast of San Clemente Island. Inside the craft, officials found human remains via cameras on the remotely operated submarine Sibitzky.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the sinking; the Marine Corps has stopped all hydrogen companies from attacking amphibious vehicles until it is complete.
The Marine Attack’s Amphibious Car is an older platform, first deployed in 1972 and updated in the years thereafter.
Dyer writes for the San Diego Union Tribune.
