U.S. forces in the Persian Gulf have given up the search for a Marine crew member who bailed out of an aircraft as it appeared to be about to crash, Navy officials said Thursday.
The crew member, whose name was not released, was among those aboard an MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that lost power shortly after takeoff from the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island on Wednesday, according to a statement from Naval Forces Central Command.
The pilot was able to regain control, and a second crew member who bailed out was recovered from the water. He is in stable condition aboard the Makin Island, the statement said.
The missing crew member, who is presumed lost at sea, is the first U.S. casualty of the military operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
