▶ Watch Video: U.S. helicopter goes down in Arabian Sea, crew member missing, Navy says
The U.S. Navy on Tuesday identified Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards as the missing sailor who was aboard a helicopter that went down in the Arabian Sea on July 1.
Edwards, the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, was missing when three members of the four-person MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter crew were rescued at sea after what the U.S. Navy said was an emergency water landing. The search for Edwards was suspended after more than 102 hours, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said Sunday.
“The thoughts and prayers of every member of the Carrier Strike Group 10 team are with the Edwards family. While we are far from home, our heartfelt support remains at your side,” Carrier Strike Group 10 commander Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata said in a statement Tuesday.
Cimicata remembered Edwards as a “fearless leader” whose legacy will never be forgotten.
U.S. Navy / Cmdr. Gabe Edwards Bio Photo
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a statement that he has directed that Edwards be posthumously promoted to his selected rank of captain.
“I am deeply grateful to every sailor and airman who took part in the search and who continue to support his family, friends, and shipmates,” Cao said.
Edwards was an Oakland, Oregon, native who had served for 20 years after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in physics and being commissioned through the Naval ROTC.
He earned his aviator “Wings of Gold” in 2008 as a helicopter pilot and served with HSC-22, HSC-84, Naval Special Warfare Group (NSWG) 4, HSC-85 and assumed command of HSC-5 in July of last year, according to the Navy.
The search covered more than 14,000 square miles and involved multiple aircraft carriers, guided-missile destroyers, helicopter squadrons, anti-submarine squadrons and U.S. Air Force aircraft, according to the Navy.
Edwards is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and two children, the military said.
“We are profoundly grateful to every Sailor, aviator, and Airman who devoted countless hours, extraordinary skill, and unwavering determination in the effort to bring Gabe home,” Rebecca Edwards said in a statement. “Gabe has dedicated his life to serving his country with honor, courage, and commitment. He led with humility, integrity, and compassion, always putting his people before himself. To those who served alongside him, he was a respected leader and mentor. To our family, he is the love of my life, an extraordinary father to his children, and the foundation of our home. His greatest joy was always his family.”
The three crew members who were rescued were returned to the USS George H.W. Bush, to which the helicopter was assigned.
The cause of the emergency landing is under investigation, the Navy said. There was “no indication” that the helicopter was shot down by hostile action, according to the military.