U.S. Navy assets in the Arabian Sea are actively searching for a missing airman after an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier made an emergency water landing. Three other crewmembers have been recovered and are in stable condition.
The U.S. 5th Fleet said the incident happened at about 3:30 a.m. ET. Officials said there is no indication that the aircraft came under hostile fire.
BREAKING: A U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea earlier today. Three of the four crew members were rescued and are in stable condition aboard the carrier, while search efforts continue for… pic.twitter.com/QEkIw8cqku
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) July 1, 2026
BREAKING: A U.S. Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea earlier today. Three of the four crew members were rescued and are in stable condition aboard the carrier, while search efforts continue for the missing aircrewman. The Navy said there is no indication the incident was caused by hostile action, and the cause remains under investigation.
The Bush Strike Group has been in the region for months as the conflict with Iran continues.
One MH-60S Knight Hawk squadron is embarked on George H.W. Bush as part of Carrier Air Wing 7 – the “Nightdippers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group deployed on March 31. The carrier was operating in the Middle East on April 23 after sailing around Africa. The carrier strike group has operated in the Arabian Sea since then as part of a U.S. naval buildup in the region.
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The war has cost the military numerous aircraft so far, as negotiations with the Islamic Republic continue for an end to the conflict.
The U.S. had lost 42 fixed-wing or rotor aircraft in Operation Epic Fury as of mid-May, the last time an update was given to Congress.
That does not include the U.S. Apache helicopter shot down by an Iranian drone in early June. The two crew members on that helicopter were able to be rescued. That incident precipitated the U.S. to undertake "self-defense strikes" against Iran.
#BREAKING: The U.S. Navy is searching for a missing crew member after an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to USS George H.W. Bush conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea. pic.twitter.com/9XmFjzNtsI
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) July 1, 2026
Let’s hope rescuers can find him.
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