One person has died after a U.S. Navy helicopter crashed off the Virginia coast Wednesday, and another person remains missing, the Navy confirms.
The chopper crashed with five people aboard. The deceased crewman was one of four pulled from the water and airlifted to a local hospital.
The conditions of the three survivors are unknown.
Search and rescue efforts are continuing for the fifth person.
The helicopter -- a MH-53E Sea Dragon -- went down several miles off the Virginia Beach coast while on a training mission shortly before noon Wednesday. The Navy described the incident as "an emergency water landing." Those rescued were airlifted to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, according to a livestream on WAVY.com.
The identity of the deceased will not be released until 24 hours after the victim's family is notified.
The Coast Guard cutter Shearwater and two MH-60S helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron 28 (HSC-28) are conducting search and rescue operations for the missing person, the Navy said.
The water in the area is 41 degrees, reports NBC Washington's Storm Team 4 Meteorologist Veronica Johnson. Hypothermia generally sets in after about 10 to 20 minutes in water that cold.
#BREAKING: #USNavy confirms one fatality from MH-53E crash off coast of #Norfolk, VA. Search continues for 1 missing.
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) January 8, 2014
The helicopter was based out of at Naval Station Norfolk Chambers Field and had been flying with another MH-53E on the training mission.
The Navy initially identified the aircraft as a CH-53E Super Stallion before issuing a correction. Sea Dragons are 99 feet long and weigh about 69,750 pounds. They are capable of speeds up to 172 mph.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Nearly two years ago, a Navy jet crashed into a Virginia Beach apartment complex during a training mission. Seven people were injured in the April 2012 crash, which occurred due to a rare dual-engine malfunction, the Navy said.
Photo Credit: U.S. Navy
