The following biographical sketches of two of the Black Hawk crash airmen was prepared by staff members of The McComb Daily in Clinton Township, Michigan. Eglin Air Force Base hasn’t officially released the names of the victims in Tuesday’s accident.
The Black Hawk helicopter that crashed in dense fog during a training mission in Florida was carrying seven Marines from Special Operations Command forces based in North Carolina, and four National Guard soldiers from Louisiana. All are presumed dead, according to reports.
More bad weather Thursday prevented the recovery of bodies and the flight recorder from wreckage 25 feet deep. None of the bodies were officially identified by the military, though at least five Marines have been identified by loved ones:
· Kerry Kemp, of Port Washington, Wisconsin
· Marcus Bawol, of Warren, Michigan
· Trevor Blaylock, of Lake Orion, Michigan
· Andrew Seif, of Holland, Michigan
· David Strother, of Pineville, Louisiana
Kerry Kemp was the proud father of a baby just shy of her first birthday and loved horsing around with his nephews.
“He would wrestle with them. He really got into that, the wrestling and playing. He'd carry them around on his back,” said his sister-in-law, Lora Waraksa.
He was a “proud Marine, a loving husband and most wonderful father,” she said. He also loved golfing and the ocean — he often took his nephews out to hunt for sea shells.
Kemp met his wife, Jenna, at Port Washington High School in Wisconsin, where he was voted “best smile” by his senior class. He graduated in 2005.
He was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Marcus Bawol, 27, formerly of Warren, was engaged to Erika Lynn Hipple, formerly of Sterling Heights, and the two planned to marry in October, according to her family.
“He was an all-around wonderful guy — the kind of guy you would want your daughter to marry,” said Theresa Dubay Hipple of Sterling Heights.
Bawol was part of a U.S. Marines special operations regiment from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina who had completed two tours in Afghanistan.
“It boggles my mind to think he could survive two tours in Afghanistan with bullets flying around and then he comes and dies in a training exercise,” said Randy Hipple, Erika’s father. “It’s devastating — we’re crushed.”
Hipple met Bawol while she was attending Warren Cousino High School and he was a student at Warren-Mott High School. They continued a long-distance relationship as she sought a career as a teacher and he went into the military.
“They were going make a life for themselves as soon as they could,” Theresa Hipple said. “It was a beautiful story.”
In addition to his fiancée, Bawol is survived by his parents, brother, and a sister.
Trevor Blaylock, of Lake Orion, was on the helicopter according to Woodl-TV, of Michigan as reported by family members.
The Holland Sentinel, of Holland, Michigan, reported a source in North Carolina said Staff Sgt. Andrew Seif, a 2006 West Ottawa High School graduate, was on board as well. Seif’s family had no comment when the Sentinel contacted their Holland Township home. Two men from the military who were at the home said only that Seif’s “status is unknown.”
Pilot David Strother, a Guardsman of Pineville, La., USA Today reports, who was one of two pilots on the helicopter, had served overseas tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Pastor Darryl Hoychick of Trinity Baptist Church in Pineville, a longtime family friend. "My heart breaks," he said. "They're just excellent people, down-to-earth people, trustworthy people, the kind of people you want as neighbors."
11:01 a.m. At a press conference in Navarre, Air Force officials said the search for the downed Blackhawk helicopter has shifted toward recovery and have no expectation of any survivors. Officials would not comment on how many bodies have been recovered so far. The Air Force is handing over the recovery mission to the Army National Guard and the Marine Corps Special Operation Command.
The helicopter wreckage has been located under about 25 feet of water in Santa Rosa Sound. Scuba divers found the wreckage but had a difficult time with visibility because the water was so murky. Dense fog is thought to have prevented anyone from witnessing the crash when it happened Tuesday night.
A safety review board has been convened and an investigation into the crash has begun. At the time of the crash, there were boats participating in the exercise in a safety capacity. The captains conducted their own search and rescue operations immediately following the crash but were thwarted by the dense fog.
U.S. Coast Guard boats are still out searching on Santa Rosa Sound.
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10:15 a.m. About 100 military personnel from Hurlburt Field and Eglin continue to search along Santa Rosa Sound for remains and debris, according to Air Force Spokesman Mike Spaits.
Air Force officials are showing the incident commander around the scene now, and the press conference is expected to begin by 10:30 a.m.\
Fog remains dense along the shoreline.
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9:30 a.m. A press conference has been pushed back to 10:30 near the scene of the crash. Officials can not confirm that the efforts have switched from search and rescue to search and recovery at this time. All announcements will be made at the press conference.
The fog had briefly lifted but now blankets the Navarre area thickly again.
"It's just as bad as yesterday," said a reporter at the scene.
Much of the wreckage had been cleared from the beaches at Biscayne Pointe, a soundside neighborhood near where the helicopter is believed to have gone down. Small pieces of foam still littered the sand.
The Intracoastal Waterway remains closed to all boat and barge traffic until further notice.
4:49 p.m. Military training accidents that have happened locally:
– Feb. 12, 1986 – AnF-16A Fighting Falcon flown by a pilot from the 3247th Test Squadron, 3246th Test Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, disappeared from Eglin’s radar tracking screens at 12:30 a.m., crashing in the Gulf of Mexico 30 miles south of Okaloosa Island. The pilot died after ejecting from the aircraft. – July 14, 1987 – An F-4E Phantom II assigned to Eglin Air Force Base’s Tactical Air Warfare Center (TAWC) crashed into the Gulf of Mexico 5 miles south of Destin about 7 p.m. during a routine training mission. An extensive search of the area failed to turn up anything but bits of debris.
– Feb. 20, 1989 – A Lockheed C-141 Starlifter with the 63rd Military Airlift Wing, Norton Air Force Base, Calif., crashed in stormy weather 4 miles north of Hurlburt Field while trying to land, killing all seven crew members and one military retiree.
– April 30, 2002 – An F-15C Eagle assigned to the 40th Flight Test Squadron, 46th Test Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, crashed in the Gulf of Mexico 60 miles south of Panama City while on a captive flight development test of a new air-to-air missile. The pilot was killed.
– Feb. 20, 2008 – Two F-15C Eagles of the 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, collided over the Gulf of Mexico about 50 miles south of Tyndall Air Force Base killing one pilot. The other ejected safely — Linda Murchison
3:55 p.m. A fog whose intensity seemed to ebb and flow Wednesday morning as rescue workers searched frantically for crew members of a crashed military helicopter grew dense again as afternoon arrived.
The National Weather Service said the thickening was to be expected in what were described as near perfect fog-producing conditions for inland coastal waters in Northwest Florida.
“Conditions are ripe for dense sea fog formation,” said NWS meteorologist Jeffrey Medlin.
There were periods during the morning when the sun was able to burn off portions of the fog cover, even allowing aircraft to briefly join in the search.
But as temperatures began dropping around 2 p.m., the fog came in to recapture what ground it had lost.
Medlin said a dense fog advisory remains intact until 1 p.m. Thursday for the area around Navarre where the search has been concentrated.3:39 p.m. From the AP:
The head of the Louisiana National Guard says the crew of a helicopter that crashed off the coast of Florida had a lot of experience, serving in Iraq and helping humanitarian missions after Hurricane Katrina and the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, said Wednesday the crew also helped after hurricanes Rita and Isaac. The helicopter had four Guardsmen from Louisiana on board along with seven Marines from North Carolina. They are presumed dead.
Like the Army's Green Berets and the Navy's SEALs, these Marines were highly skilled unconventional warriors, trained to endure grueling conditions and sensitive assignments on land and at sea, from seizing ships to special reconnaissance missions and direct action inside hostile territory.
The helicopter was part of a nighttime training mission Tuesday at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. There was dense fog in the area at the time of the crash but officials have not said what caused the helicopter to go down. ————————————————–
1:30 p.m. Military officials are asking witnesses to the crash to contact Hurlburt Safety, Capt. Adam Darrow at 850-621-5200.
Anyone along the Santa Rosa Sound who finds wreckage or anything they suspect may be involved with the crash should call Hurlburt Field Public Affairs at 884-7464, Ext. 4.
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1 p.m. Navarre Beach firefighters were among those assisting with the search and rescue efforts that began late Tuesday night.
The crew, which ended up working into their third straight day, was relieved Wednesday afternoon.
"It's going to be a long, long drawn-out issue, just becaue of the size of the debris field," said Fire Chief Mike Howard.
He said fog was still hindering efforts to locate debris and crew members, at least some of whom are dead.
Human remains have been recovered, although officials have not confirmed the number of those found.
Eleven Marines and National Guardsmen were on board the helicopter when it crashed around 8:30 p.m.
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12:05 p.m. A press conference will be held this afternoon in Hammond, Louisiana, where the National Guard Unit involved in the crash is located, according to a spokesman for the unit.
"It's very somber," said Col. Pete Snyder. "We're paying great attention to the families. They all understand we have a job to do. All have been notified of the people who are missing."
He said of the four Army National Guard member on board, two were pilots and two were crew chiefs.
The helicopter is their asset, he confirmed.
A Marine spokesman characterized the training is routine.
"Any type of exercise we do is dangerous," he said. "That's understood when you join the military."
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11:45 a.m President Barack Obama says he's confident there will be a detailed and thorough investigation into an Army helicopter crash off the coast of Florida.
Obama spoke by phone Wednesday with Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman, who heads the Marine Corps special forces, and Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis of the Louisiana National Guard. Seven Marines and four soldiers are believed to have been killed in the Black Hawk crash during a night-time training mission.
The White House says Obama expressed his condolences to the families of those killed.
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11:14 Federal Avaiation Adminstration has notified Boomer Aviation, a grass airstrip near Navarre, that it has closed the air space around the field and nothing can fly under 1,000 feet for a 3 mile radius.
Amanda Brooks, office manager for Boomer Aviation, said they believe the closure could last for 12 hours.
11 a.m. Residents of the Biscayne Point neighborhood near the Navarre Walmart woke up to pieces of wreckage, presumably from the downed Blackhawk, strewn along the soundside beach.
One resident reported seeing hundreds of pieces of wreckage, including a manual, a helicopter shell and pieces of foam.
Brooks Sweet, who lives in the area, said the smell of fuel was really strong when he went out to walk his dog about 1 a.m. He says he saw something out in the water, but it was too foggy to tell what it was.
Sweet was outside Tuesday night when he heard something that caught his attention.
"I heard the helicopter engine and it sounded like a prop hit the ground and, all of the sudden, boom, and an abrupt stop to the engine," he said.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office is receiving calls from residents who have found debris. Spokesman Rich Aloy said deputies are going out and confirming if it is wreckage from the crash.
The Sheriff's Office then notifies military officials of the item.
Residents can report suspected debris by calling (850) 983- 1190.
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10:30 a.m. The U.S. Coast Guard has issued its first press release regarding the search for crew members of a downed military helicopter.
The Coast Guard received word about 11 p.m. of the crash. They launched boat crews from the stations in Pensacola and Destin to help search the area.
The crews are searching an area that is 17 miles long and 3 miles wide in the area of the Santa Rosa Sound, the release said.
A debris field consistent with military aircraft was spotted at 1:30 a.m.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the members involved in this incident," said Layne Carter, search and rescue mission coordinator. "We are aggressively searching for possible survivors in the crash."
10:20 a.m. Navarre Beach Marine Park and the Navarre Beach Boat Ramp, both on Navarre Beach, are closed until further notice as part of the helicopter crash search, rescue and recovery mission.
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9:46 a.m. The Marines and National Guardsmen involved with this exercise have been in the area since March 8th and were scheduled to stay through the 15th, according to Capt. Barry Morris, spokesman for the Marine Corps unit from Camp Lejeune.
He said they were practicing "insertion and extraction" missions, which is routine training. Small boats and helicopters were involved.
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9:46 a.m. The Marines and National Guardsmen involved with this exercise have been in the area since March 8th and were scheduled to stay through the 15th, according to Capt. Barry Morris, spokesman for the Marine Corps unit from Camp Lejeune.
He said they were practicing "insertion and extraction" missions, which is routine training. Small boats and helicopters were involved.
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9:35 a.m. The commander of the Marine unit from Camp Lejeune is reportedly en route to the scene.
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9:30 a.m. Two women sitting outside at the Navarre Beach Campgrounds Tuesday evening heard what they now realize may have been the Blackhawk helicopter going down.
"When we heard the sound, we knew it wasn't normal," said Urr. "And after it happened, everything hushed. . . we didn't hear anything."
The women said it didn't sound like a car crash.
"I've lived here three years," Urr said. "I know the normal sounds. This was definitely not normal."
Eileen Osborn said the noise was so loud her dog jumped off the couch and ran to hide.
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9:20 a.m. : Sixty members of search and rescue teams are looking in an approprimately five mile area along Santa Rosa Island for survivors. Fog is hampering search efforts.
Navarre Bridge remains open.
Residents in the area reported to smelling gas and oil around 8:30 p.m. last night.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office is also asking citizens to immediately call if they find anything that might be connected to the crash. The number to call is (850) 983- 1190.
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8:51 a.m. Crews from the U.S. Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are assisting in the search for those missing since a Louisiana Army National Guard UH-60 helicopter went down about 8:30 Tuesday night.
"I want to be clear that we are still considering this a search and rescue mission," said Andy Bourland, director of Public Affairs for Eglin Air Force Base.
Seven Marines and four National Guard members were on-board the helicopter when it went down, according to information released by the military.
It was one of two helicopters conducting a training mission over Air Force property between Navarre and Okaloosa Island.
Bourland said there was no in-the-air contact between the two helicopters and the cause of the crash is not known at this time.
Dense fog and darkness hindered overnight search and rescue operations, he said. Debris from the aircraft was found at about 2:30 a.m.
"We have since recovered debris on both the north and the south side of the sound," he said.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office is also asking citizens to immediately call if they find anything that might be connected to the crash. The number to call is (850) 983- 1190.
8:22 a.m.: The Navarre Visitor Center and Navarre Park, located at 8543 Navarre Parkway at the foot of the Navarre Beach Causeway, is closed until further notice as officials search for remains and information about what happened to the Blackhawk helicopter that went down near Navarre overnight.
A command post has been established at the park, near Tommy's Snoballs.
The area is being used in recovery efforts.
All civilians are being asked to stay out of the water so as not to get in the way of operations.
The Navarre Bridge is open.
A crew from the Navarre Beach Fire Department is assisting with the search operation.
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8:04 a.m. FOG A FACTOR? A dense fog advisory was in place for Northwest Florida at the time the Blackhawk helicopter went down on Eglin Air Force Base.
“Low ceilings of 200 to 400 feet were observed at the time of the incident,” said Joe Maniscalco a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mobile.
The ceiling is “a measurement used to determine the cloud base height relative to the ground,” according to Wikipedia.
Conditions were such that the pilot of the helicopter would have had a visibility of no more than a half-mile, according to Maniscalco.
“Very low instrument flight rules” were called for overnight, he said.
This time of year is the “peak time” for fog events, Maniscalco said, and he projected the fog that came in over night wouldn’t be lifting early today in the area where the crash occurred.
“The weather conditions are going to change very little over the bays and sounds this morning,” he said.
Conditions would gradually improve over land, he said.
7:55 a.m. Human remains have washed up on ashore but the number of remains has not be released at this time, Eglin public affairs reports. Search and rescue crews remain on scene, heavy fog is having an impact on their efforts. This is still considered a search and rescue mission. Multiple agencies are on scene including the Coast Guard who have secured waterways.
5:50 a.m.: Team Eglin posted this initial report on the crash about two hours ago on its Facebook page.
Two UH-60 aircraft assigned to the Hammond, La Army National Guard were participating in a training exercise over night. One aircraft with four aircrew and seven Marines assigned to Camp LaJeune, N.C, was involved in an accident near Eglin range site A-17, east of the Navarre Bridge.
The helicopter was reported missing at about 8:30 p.m. March 10. Debris from the aircraft was located by search and rescue team at about 2 a.m. this morning. Search and rescue efforts are underway at the accident site currently.
The second helicopter and its personnel on board have returned and are accounted for at this time. The aircraft are assigned to the 1-244th Assault Helicopter Battalion in Hammond, Louisiana. They were participating in a routine training mission involving the Marine Special Operations Regiment from Camp LeJeune.
Names of the aircrew and Marines on board are being withheld pending NOK notification. The accident is under investigation. Additional details will be provided as they become available.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Update: 5 preliminary ID's in on helo crash victims