Five missing U.S. Marines declared dead

The U.S. military on Tuesday ended search and rescue efforts for five missing Marines aboard a refueling plane that collided with a U.S. fighter jet last week off the southwest coast of Japan. A KC-130 Hercules refueling plane and an F/A-18 Hornet jet crashed into each other on Thursday during a training run after taking off from a base in Iwakuni, Japan. The military planes plummeted into the sea 200 miles south of the island of Shikoku. Rescue workers recovered both F/A-18 crew members soon after the crash—one was in stable condition when rescued, but the pilot, Capt. Jahmar Resilard, 28, of Miramar, Fla., died at a local hospital. The five missing Marines were all aboard the refueling plane.

“We know this difficult decision was made after all resources were exhausted in the vigorous search for Marines,” Lt. Col. Mitchell T. Maury, the squadron’s commanding officer, said in a statement. “Our thoughts are heavy, and our prayers are will all family and friends of all five aircrew.”

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, the Marines said in a statement. The identities of the five deceased will be released after notification of their next of kin.