Hingham native among 12 Marines missing in Hawaii after helicopter crash
Local officials continued their search Saturday morning for the 12 Marines missing after two helicopters apparently collided off the coast of the Hawaiian island Oahu.
One of the missing is Marine Cpl. Christopher Orlando, of Hingham, according to the town’s director of Veterans Services, Keith Jermyn.
The crash, confirmed by the Marines, occurred late Thursday night between two CH-53 helicopters and was first called in by a civilian, who reported seeing the helicopters, followed by an explosion and what looked like a fireball, according Lieutenant Scott Carr, a U.S. Coast Guard public affairs officer.
The Marines tweeted that the two involved helicopters were from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing out of Marine air station in Kaneohe Bay.
Amid bad weather and rough oceans, it wasn’t until Friday morning that a Coast Guard helicopter and airplane spotted a debris field, Carr said, which now ranges along Oahu’s northern coast.
Carr described the search conditions as “incredibly difficult,’’ citing 15-foot swells and heavy surf of up to 30 feet.. The conditions are expected to last through Tuesday.
The Coast Guard is encouraging local surfers and tourists to stay away from the water, due to the dangers of the heavy waves and debris.
By the end of the day Friday, two Navy warships, two Coast Guard Cutters, a Coast Guard helicopter, and the Honolulu fire and police departments were also participating in the search, according to Carr. Army and Navy helicopters are expected to join the search Saturday.
“Please keep Chris in your prayers and know that if anyone is coming out of this alive it is Chris Orlando,’’ South Shore Surf Camp in Hull, where Orlando was a camp counselor, posted on Facebook.
“To this day, he is still the most talked about and beloved camp counselor to ever work at SSSC,’’ the Facebook post said. “Stories of Orlando can be heard out in the water and during lunch virtually every day at camp. He is a camp legend and an American hero.’’
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“The Town of Hingham stands with the Orlando family in this very difficult time,’’ Paul Healey, a Hingham town selectman, told Boston.com. “We hope and pray for the safe return of Corporal Orlando. We ask that the family’s dignity and privacy be respected.’’
According to Jermyn, the community will continue to honor Orlando’s service and show their support by raising Blue Star banners throughout the town.
“All of our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family at this time,’’ Jermyn said.
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