Desperate hunt for missing crew after US Osprey aircraft crashes in Japanese waters

The search for the seven crew members missing after a U.S. military Osprey’s harrowing crash off the shore of Yakushima Island in southern Japan continues with increasing urgency but yields no new clues, according to the Japanese Coast Guard’s latest update on Saturday.

Despite exhaustive dive searches, conducted with the aid of side-scan sonar both in the morning and afternoon, no breakthrough has emerged since the CV-22 Osprey aircraft’s dramatic crash on Wednesday. The 10th Regional Coast Guard’s reports to ABC News have only deepened the enigma surrounding this chilling incident.

In a tragic development, at least one U.S. airman, identified by the Air Force as Staff Sgt. Jacob “Jake” M. Galliher, 24, of the 43rd Intelligence Squadron, was recovered from the ocean and later pronounced dead, further compounding the mystery and sorrow of this catastrophe.

The ill-fated Osprey, known for its vertical takeoff and landing capabilities and manufactured by Bell Boeing, was on a “routine training mission” when it met its mysterious fate. The cause of the crash, as stated by the U.S. Air Force, remains shrouded in uncertainty, adding layers of speculation and concern.

Tragic Mystery Unfolds as U.S. Military Osprey Vanishes Off Japanese Coast: Search Continues

As the search operation, involving numerous patrol vessels, prepares to continue on Sunday, the eyes of the world remain fixed on this developing story, fraught with suspense and tragedy.

Background of the harrowing incident: A U.S. military Osprey aircraft, carrying eight airmen, crashed into the waters off the Japanese coast around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The Japan Coast Guard promptly deployed search and rescue vessels to the Kagoshima prefecture’s seas in a desperate bid to locate survivors.

The discovery of the aircraft’s wreckage, about an hour after the crash was reported, southeast of Yakushima Island’s airport, only adds to the gripping tale of this military aviation mystery.

This incident stands as a dark and perplexing chapter in military aviation history, with the fate of the missing crew and the cause of the Osprey’s crash both remaining unsolved, capturing global attention and concern.