The body of the fourth and final American soldier missing in Lithuania has been found, ending a week-long search for four soldiers whose armored vehicle was pulled from a swampy training area, the US military said today.
The soldiers were on a training exercise when they and their vehicle were reported missing a week ago. The bodies of three other soldiers were found on Monday after US, Polish and Lithuanian forces found the M88 Hercules vehicle in a local swamp.
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Their identities have not been released.
Hundreds of Lithuanian and American soldiers and rescuers took part in the search in wooded and marshy terrain about 10 kilometers west of the border with Belarus.
The 63-ton armored vehicle was discovered submerged in 26 meters of water on March 4,5, but it took days to pull it out of the swamp.
U.S. Navy divers maneuvered through thick layers of mud and clay with zero visibility to reach the vehicle Sunday night and attach steel cables so it could be pulled out. When only three of the four bodies were recovered, the divers began searching for a fourth soldier.
Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of U.S. forces in Europe and Africa, expressed gratitude to U.S. allies who sent troops and equipment to help in the search. The Lithuanian military provided military helicopters, planes, drones and rescue teams, as well as excavators and pumps.
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