The Coast Guard has called off its search for a missing Navy crewmember after an MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter crashed with five people aboard Wednesday approximately 18 miles east of Cape Henry, Va.
The Navy also released the name of the missing crewmember, Lt. Sean Christopher Snyder, 39, of Santee, Calif. Two died in the crash — pilot Lt. Wesley Van Dorn, 29, of Greensboro, N.C., and Naval Aircrewman 3rd Class Brian Collins, 25, of Truckee, Calif. — and two survived. One remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Wednesday morning at approximately 11 a.m., Navy aircrew contacted Coast Guard 5th District Command Center reporting that the Sea Dragon crashed and another Navy aircrew dropped a life raft to the people in the water.
Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and dispatched crews aboard a 25' Response Boat-Small and a 45' Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Little Creek and diverted the Coast Guard cutter Shearwater, an 87' patrol boat homeported in Portsmouth, Va., to assist.
At approximately 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, two Navy helicopter crews hoisted four people from the water and took them to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. According to NBC News, Navy officials said that parts of the MH-53E had been found, but not the main fuselage where the missing crewman is likely located.
