Officials: All life rafts from Marine helicopters found, none used
The Coast Guard has found the last life raft from two helicopters carrying 12 Marines that crashed off Hawaii last week.
There's still no sign of the Marines as searchers comb the waves Tuesday. Marine Capt. Timothy Irish says the four life rafts have been recovered and all had been empty.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Tara Molle says a good Samaritan spotted the raft Monday afternoon. A Coast Guard cutter found it 3 miles north of Oahu's Kahuku.
She says there's no indication anyone had ever been on any of the rafts.
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Rescuers from various agencies have been searching round-the-clock since the Coast Guard was notified late Thursday of the crash by a civilian who saw the aircraft flying and then disappear and a fireball.
The Marines were alerted when the CH-53E helicopters carrying six crew members each failed to return to their base at Kaneohe Bay following a nighttime training mission. Hours later, a Coast Guard helicopter and C-130 airplane spotted debris 2-1/2 miles off of Oahu.
The transport helicopters were part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Known as Super Stallions, they are the U.S. military's largest helicopter, capable of carrying a light armored vehicle, 16 tons of cargo or a team of combat-equipped Marines, according to a Marine Corps website.
The U.S. Marines Corps released the names of the 12 missing crew members late Saturday. Though based in Hawaii, the Marines were from various states.
One of the missing is 24-year-old Sgt. Dillon J. Semolina of Chaska, Minn.
Semolina's uncle said his nephew wanted to be a nurse when he left the Marines.
"He was waiting to hear from a school he had applied to and was hoping to hear next week," Ryan Bachand said.