The bodies of all 10 sailors from the USS John S. McCain who went missing after it collided with an oil tanker near Singapore on Aug 21, have been found within the vessel.
In an update yesterday, the US 7th Fleet said US Navy and US Marine Corps divers have recovered the remains of all 10 sailors who had served on board the guided-missile destroyer. "The incident is under investigation to determine the facts and circumstances of the collision," the statement added.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said recovery efforts have ceased, as the missing sailors have been recovered.
The collision between the USS John S. McCain and the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC left 10 missing and five navy sailors injured. It damaged the US warship's left side, near the stern, punching a hole that stretched above and below the waterline.
Following the collision, Singapore coordinated a search-and-rescue operation with the United States, Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia, covering 5,524 sq km, an area more than seven times the size of Singapore, MPA said.
It also involved more than 300 personnel from Singapore agencies, including MPA, the Singapore Armed Forces, Singapore Police Coast Guard and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.
The Singapore-led search-and-rescue operation was suspended at 9pm on Thursday last week after the US Navy announced its suspension of search-and-rescue efforts to focus on recovery on the USS John S. McCain.
Singapore continued to support the US Navy in its search on the vessel at Changi Naval Base until all missing crew were accounted for, MPA added.
Mr Andrew Tan, MPA chief executive, said that on behalf of all agencies involved in the search-and-rescue operation, the authority expressed its "deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased US Navy crew".
Calling the incident tragic, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post yesterday: "We hope and pray that this final closure will help their bereaved families through this difficult period. May their souls rest in peace."
The fallen sailors
Electronics Technician 1st Class
Charles Nathan Findley, 31, from Amazonia, Missouri
Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class
Abraham Lopez, 39, from El Paso, Texas
Electronics Technician 2nd Class
Kevin Sayer Bushell, 26, from Gaithersburg, Maryland
Electronics Technician 2nd Class
Jacob Daniel Drake, 21, from Cable, Ohio
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class
Timothy Thomas Eckels Jr, 23, from Manchester, Maryland
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class
Corey George Ingram, 28, from Poughkeepsie, New York
Electronics Technician 3rd Class
Dustin Louis Doyon, 26, from Suffield, Connecticut
Electronics Technician 3rd Class
John Henry Hoagland III, 20, from Killeen, Texas
Electronics Technician 3rd Class
Kenneth Aaron Smith, 22, from Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class
Logan Stephen Palmer, 23, from Decatur, Illinois
