Three of the four U.S. soldiers missing in Lithuania since last week were found dead on Monday, the U.S. Army confirmed. The soldiers' armored vehicle was recovered from a swamp in the eastern city of Pabrade, near the Belarus border, where they went missing during a military drill.
Lithuanian authorities were alerted last Tuesday after the soldiers disappeared while conducting exercises at a training ground. Search and rescue teams worked with heavy equipment and excavators to remove silt from the body of water where the vehicle was found. The vehicle was eventually towed out early Monday.
"Three U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division were found deceased in Lithuania today, March 31," U.S. Army Europe and Africa's public affairs office said in a statement. Search efforts are ongoing for the fourth missing soldier.
President Donald Trump confirmed the deaths of three soldiers and one missing. Describing the accident, he explained that the very heavy vehicle may have caused the bank of the lake to collapse, leading to the incident. "It was a very heavy truck that lifted the heaviest equipment... the weight is so enormous," Trump said, noting the cold temperatures and ice that likely contributed to the accident.
The identities of the deceased soldiers are being withheld until next of kin are notified. "Our hearts are heavy with a sorrow that echoes across the whole Marne Division, both forward and at home," said Division Commander Christopher Norrie. "But the search isn't finished until everyone is home."
Rescue operations involved hundreds of local and foreign troops, including engineers and divers. Lithuania, NATO and EU member, hosts over 1,000 U.S. troops on a rotational basis.
