Navy identifies missing sailor in Arabian Sea whose helicopter made emergency landing

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July 7, 2026 / 5:53 PM EDT

/ CBS News

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The U.S. Navy on Tuesday identified Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards as the missing sailor who was aboard a helicopter that went down in the Arabian Sea on July 1.Edwards, the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, was missing when three members of the four-person MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter crew were rescued at sea after what the U.S. Navy said was an emergency water landing. The search for Edwards was suspended after more than 102 hours, the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said Sunday."The thoughts and prayers of every member of the Carrier Strike Group 10 team are with the Edwards family. While we are far from home, our heartfelt support remains at your side," Carrier Strike Group 10 commander Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata said in a statement Tuesday. Cimicata remembered Edwards as a "fearless leader" whose legacy will never be forgotten.