Eight American service members who were missing after an accident off the coast of Southern California are now presumed dead after search and rescue efforts were called off on Saturday evening, the authorities said.
The service members, seven marines and a sailor, had been aboard an amphibious assault vehicle that took on water and sank on Thursday. Another marine died and two service members were injured.
The service members were assigned to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Pendleton, in the San Diego area. Efforts were now turning to recovering the remains of the eight presumed dead, the Marines said.
Officials said it was unclear how the accident happened. The depth of the water drops off quickly around the island, so the vehicle was in several hundred feet of water when it sank, said Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Osterman, commanding general of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. When the vehicle left shore, conditions had been acceptable for travel, he said.
