More than 24 hours have passed since an airman fell from a military plane flying off the coast of Florida.
A number of units from the Coast Guard and Air Force have been searching the Gulf of Mexico for a staff sergeant with the 24th Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, who dropped out of a C-130 during a jump training scenario. The accident happened about 2 miles offshore from Destin, Florida.
The airman, who has not been identified, fell from a height of about 1,500 feet. Airmen on the plane said their fellow service member’s parachute deployed, and they saw the fallen airman treading water.
Air Force Special Tactics said in an update on Facebook on Wednesday afternoon that teams were combing a 700-square-mile area off the coast of Fort Walton Beach and Pensacola.
“The search area continues to expand and adjust as efforts continue. This is a combined effort across federal, Department of Defense, state and local agencies,” the update said.
The incident remains under investigation.
