- Oct 17, 2011
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A mission to find four missing U.S. soldiers in Lithuania has been hampered by wet and muddy terrain, complicating an effort involving hundreds of personnel, U.S. Army officials said Thursday. “We are leveraging every available U.S. and Lithuanian asset to coordinate for and provide the required resources for this effort,” U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of the 1st Armored Division, said in a statement.
The soldiers were inside an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle when they went off course into a bog. The submerged M88 was discovered Wednesday evening during a search-and-rescue effort by American troops and Lithuanian authorities. “The challenges presented by the water, thick mud and soft ground around the site have complicated recovery efforts and have required specialized equipment to drain water from the side and stabilize the ground,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said.
The Army has not declared the soldiers dead, with officials saying they are still considered missing.
The soldiers were inside an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle when they went off course into a bog. The submerged M88 was discovered Wednesday evening during a search-and-rescue effort by American troops and Lithuanian authorities. “The challenges presented by the water, thick mud and soft ground around the site have complicated recovery efforts and have required specialized equipment to drain water from the side and stabilize the ground,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said.
The Army has not declared the soldiers dead, with officials saying they are still considered missing.