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US Navy Identifies One dead, 9 missing USS John S. McCain Sailors

24 August 2017 by

Story Number: NNS170824-08Release Date: 8/24/2017 9:11:00 AM 

From U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs (Press Release)

(Image courtesy of U.S. Navy)


CHANGI NAVAL BASE, Republic of Singapore (NNS) -- After more than 80 hours of multinational search efforts, the U.S. Navy suspended search and rescue efforts for missing USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) Sailors in an approximately 2,100-square mile area east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. 

Ten Sailors went missing following a collision between the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer and the Liberian-flagged merchant vessel Alnic MC Aug. 21. 

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps divers will continue search and recovery efforts inside flooded compartments in the ship for the missing Sailors. 

The divers recovered the remains of one Sailor, confirmed as: Electronics Technician 3rd Class Kenneth Aaron Smith, 22, from New Jersey. 

Still missing are: 

- Electronics Technician 1st Class Charles Nathan Findley, 31, from Missouri 
- Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class Abraham Lopez, 39, from Texas
- Electronics Technician 2nd Class Kevin Sayer Bushell, 26, from Maryland
- Electronics Technician 2nd Class Jacob Daniel Drake, 21, from Ohio
- Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Timothy Thomas Eckels Jr., 23, from Maryland
- Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Corey George Ingram, 28, from New York
- Electronics Technician 3rd Class Dustin Louis Doyon, 26, from Connecticut
- Electronics Technician 3rd Class John Henry Hoagland III, 20, from Texas
- Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Logan Stephen Palmer, 23, from Illinois 

Multinational search efforts included ships and aircraft from the Republic of Singapore Navy, Singapore Air Force, Singapore Maritime Port Authority, Singapore Police Coast Guard, Royal Malaysian Navy, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Indonesian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force. 

The incident is under investigation to determine the facts and circumstances of the collision.

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