U.S. Navy declares 5 missing sailors dead following helicopter crash

The U.S. Navy has declared five missing sailors dead after a helicopter crashed into the sea off the coast of San Diego on Tuesday.

Details: The U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet said in a statement Saturday the transition to recovery operations comes after more than 72 hours of rescue efforts encompassing 34 search and rescue flights.

• The names of the sailors are being withheld until their next of kin have been notified.
• There were also five other sailors who were injured on board the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier but are now in stable condition, the Associated Press reports.
• The helicopter crashed during what the Navy described only as routine flight operations. An investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.