3 missing US Army soldiers found dead in Lithuania
3 U.S. soldiers found dead in Lithuania, 1 soldier is still missing after vehicle swallowed by peat bog.
This story has been updated with new information.
Three of four U.S. Army soldiers were found dead in Lithuania nearly a week after they went missing when their armored vehicle sank into a peat bog during a training mission, officials said Monday.
The Army said the missing 63-ton M88 Hercules vehicle was pulled out of the bog early Monday morning using excavators, pumps and other construction equipment. Meanwhile, the body of the fourth soldier was found dead on Tuesday, officials announced. None of the soldiers' names have been released.
The soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, were conducting tactical training at the Pabrade training ground near the border with Belarus when they disappeared on March 25. The soldiers were reported missing after they did not return, Army officials said. Their vehicle was found submerged in the bog the next day.
Major Gen. Christopher Norrie, the Third Infantry Division’s commanding general, said in a statement Monday that the soldiers are family and "the search isn’t finished until everyone is home."
"Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts and your unwavering commitment not to rest until all are found," Norrie said, before the fourth soldier was found.
On Monday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda echoed similar sentiments to U.S. President Donald Trump on the social media platform X.
"Lithuania mourns together with the American nation,'" Nauseda wrote. "Please accept my heartfelt condolences, as well as those of the Lithuanian people, to you, the loved ones of those who lost their lives, and all the people of the United States of America. During this difficult time, our thoughts and prayers are with you."
Hundreds of American and Lithuanian military personnel scoured the forest and swampy terrain to find the missing soldiers. U.S. Navy divers swam into a muddy bog with zero visibility, the Army said, to attach two cables to the sunken vehicle Sunday night. The procedure took about two hours of winching to pull the vehicle out of the bog, the Army added.
The soldiers had been deployed to Lithuania in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve as they worked alongside Lithuanian armed forces at last week's training exercise. Lithuania is a former Soviet republic and has been a member of NATO since 2004.
Major Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Task Force Iron and the 1st Armored Division, added, "I'd like to personally commend the heroic efforts of the search parties, and especially our Lithuanian allies who were instrumental in the recovery efforts. Their courage and commitment to this operation will always be remembered and demonstrate the strong relationship between our countries."
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Contributing: Reuters