US Navy Diver The sinking M88 Hercules recovery vehicle successfully connected two lines to the boom, carrying four U.S. Army soldiers who disappeared during training near Pabradė, Lithuania earlier Tuesday.
Soldier, located in Fort Stewart, GeorgiaWhen they disappeared, they were performing a scheduled maintenance task, riding on the scheduled maintenance task, and recovering another U.S. Army vehicle in the training area.
After connecting the second row to Hercules’s ascension point on Sunday, the army said the vehicle could be anchored to prevent it from sinking further into the swamp.
“The engineers are expecting to start the winch this morning.” US Army Europe and Africa “The process is expected to take a lot of time and effort, as the terrain around the peat bog remains challenging – but rescuers won’t be stopped,” said an article on X.
Staff continue to search for missing Hercules in Lithuania. (US Army)
The Army noted that earlier in the day divers linked the front line to the lifting point on Hercules, although the winch effort on both lines is expected to take longer than expected due to the pressure and suction of the mud.
US Army Operations in Europe Africa said in a press release that Hercules continued to sink into the swamp. It is estimated that the vehicle is about four meters below the water surface and is wrapped in about two meters of mud.
To assist in excavation and pumping operations, a fast cross-loading (rail) system is expected to arrive on site later that day.
The U.S. restored terrain vehicles are closer to recovering from the peat swamp in Lithuania after U.S. Navy divers hung two lines on their vehicles on Sunday. (US Army)
Traditionally, railway systems have been used to help challenge the loads of terrain and impact the railway network, although engineers believe it can help stabilize the ground around the site.
“It’s very complicated, trying to get here on the terrain and the M88 sitting on the marsh swamp area below the waterline, below the waterline. So we’re not only dealing with the terrain, but also on the dirt on the top of the vehicle, but we’re also trying to restore the 70 tons of the swamp or bog,” said General John Lloyd, commander of the North Atlantic Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Divier Šakalienė said in an interview with Fox News Digital Number that from the moment the country learned of the incident, it “gives everything to the armed forces and the Ministry of Interior institutions” to find the soldiers.
The US Army M88 Hercules armored vehicle was near Pabradė, Lithuania on March 27. Lithuanians from all over the country, national and local governments, assisted U.S. Army soldiers in search of four missing U.S. soldiers from the first brigade, the Third Infantry Division, and then immersed on March 26 to restore work on the M88 Hercules armored vehicle near the last known location of the soldiers. (Lithuanian Armed Forces)
“From helicopters with thermal vision to ground forces, we’ve been going on,” said šakalienė.
Šakalienė said whether the soldiers could escape before sinking, but reiterated that “no evidence” confirmed the death of the missing soldiers, which is not yet clear.
The area around the site is a forested area with swamps and marshes above it, similar to the environment found in Alaska. The weather conditions are similar, making it a challenging training area for Army personnel.
“Maybe they were lost, confused, hurt or in a low temperature state, and we haven’t found them yet,” said šakalienė. “But until the last moment we lost hope. These are powerful soldiers, strong, adults. All situations are possible.”
Search for “Ongoing” to learn about 4 US soldiers missing in Lithuanian training area: NATO
Lithuanian military and law enforcement officers observe the recovery work as excavators will collect soil in Pabradė, Lithuania on March 26. Lithuanians from all over the country, national and local governments, assisted U.S. Army soldiers in search of four missing U.S. soldiers from the First Brigade, the Third Infantry Division, and the restoration of their M88 Hercules armored vehicles, flooded on March 26 near the last known site of the soldiers. (Lithuanian Armed Forces)
She added Lithuania, a NATO members He thought about his own soldiers and would not abandon them.
Despite efforts, the soldiers have not been found.
The U.S. Army’s Third Infantry Division is keeping Soliders’ family up to date in searches.
“This tragic situation is under great pressure on all of us, and we keep soldiers and family, friends and teammates of the recovery team in our thoughts and prayers,” General Curtis Taylor, commander of the First Army, wrote in a statement last week. “We want everyone to know that we won’t stop until we find our soldiers.”
President Donald Trump He told reporters on Wednesday that he did not introduce to the missing soldiers.
Since independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, the training site has been less than 6 miles from Belarus, a Russian ally.
The Catholic country Lithuania organized joint prayers on Sunday in its main church, the capital cathedral, and held a mass for the missing soldiers.
Alexandra Koch and Landon Mion of Fox News Digital contributed to the report.
