A Nepalese army chopper -- which spotted the suspected wreckage of a U.S. Marine helicopter -- lands at the airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Friday, May 15, 2015.(Photo: Bernat Armangue, AP)
Officials have recovered the bodies of the eight people aboard the U.S. helicopter that crashed in Nepal, the Nepali army said Saturday.
The announcement, reported by the Associated Press, comes a day after the wreckage of the missing chopper was discovered in the remote, rugged area. Lt. Gen. John Wissler, commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, on Friday said it was "very unlikely" there were any survivors.
Six Marines and two Nepali soldiers were on board the chopper when it went missing Tuesday, following an earthquake that measured 7.3. They were on a humanitarian mission to deliver aid to victims of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that devastated the region April 25.
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Survivors 'unlikely' at site of U.S. copter crash in Nepal
U.S. and Nepali military personnel have been at the crash site, located at an elevation of 11,000 feet, since the wreckage was discovered. Three of the bodies were recovered Friday, and the remaining were found Saturday, the Nepali army said.
CNN reported that the bodies are not recognizable.
Among the soldiers who was on board the UH-1Y Huey helicopter was Jacob "Jake" Hug of Phoenix. The 22-year-old Marine was based in Okinawa, Japan, and had been on temporary assignment in Nepal.
"Between the first stop and the second stop, the helicopter reported an issue with the fuel line, and then being in such a remote location, it just disappeared," his father, Jim Hug, told the
Arizona Republic. "There's no signs of a crash, no signs of smoke, no signs of a fire. The emergency beacon didn't go on."
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Arizona Marine likely killed aboard helicopter in Nepal
The pilot of the helicopter has been identified as Chris Norgren of Wichita, Kan., according to media reports. Norgren's father, Ron, said officials first told him of the disappearance of his 31-year-old son's helicopter on Tuesday, and then contacted the family again when the wreckage was discovered Friday.
U.S. military officials have not yet confirmed the identities of the soldiers on the chopper.
Contributing: Associated Press
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