The bodies of three U.S. soldiers have been recovered after their vehicle was submerged in a peat bog in Lithuania. The soldiers, part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, went missing on March 25 during a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle. The search for the fourth soldier is ongoing.
The soldiers' M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicle was found submerged in the early hours of March 26. Recovery efforts, involving U.S. and Lithuanian forces, took six days due to challenging conditions. Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie expressed sorrow, stating, "The Soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just Soldiers - they were a part of our family."
Lithuanian forces provided helicopters, aircraft, and other resources to assist in the recovery. U.S. Navy divers and specialized equipment played a crucial role in extracting the 63-ton vehicle from the bog. The soldiers were deployed in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve and were stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia.
The cause of the accident is under investigation by U.S. and Lithuanian authorities.