The U.S. Navy has released the identity of an officer who was lost during a helicopter crash in Arabian Sea on July 1, 2026.
The helicopter crash led to an intensified search operation that lasted for over 102 hours in search of locating the missing sailor.
The U.S. Navy on Tuesday, July 7, revealed the identity of the missing Oregon sailor as Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards, a native of Oakland, a town located in Douglas County near Sutherlin.
According to the U.S. 5th Fleet, the crew aboard an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush made an “emergency landing” in the sea in the predawn hours of July 1.
The Navy rescued three of the helicopter’s four sailors amid search efforts that continued for Edwards over the following hours and days.
On July 1 at 3:30 a.m. ET, the aircrew of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea. There is no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action. Three of the helicopter’s four crew…
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) July 1, 2026
The search operation involved over 14,000 square miles and multiple aircraft carriers, guided missile destroyers, helicopter squadrons, anti-submarine squadrons, and U.S. Air Force aircraft, according to the U.S. Navy.
Who was Cdr. Gabriel Edwards?
Commander Gabe Edwards was serving in the U.S. Navy for the last two decades.
Edwards graduated with a degree in Physics from Norfolk State University in 2006 and got commissioned as an officer of the U.S. Navy via Naval ROTC, a prestigious program of the U.S. Navy where students get trained to become officers in the U.S. Navy or U.S. Marine Corps.
After graduating from flight school in 2008 with years of flying experience, Edwards took command of his squadron, the HSC-5 Nightdippers in July 2025.
Cdr. Edwards is survived by his wife Rebecca and two children.
The U.S. Navy is investigating the cause of the helicopter mishap; however, it has ruled out any possibility of being shot down by hostile action.
2026-07-08 16:53:00
