Rescue Teams Recover Remains From Army Helicopter Crash in Florida

Search teams have confirmed that helicopter parts and human remains have been recovered following the search for a missing Army helicopter that disappeared Tuesday evening off the coast of Florida during a routine military training exercise.

The Pentagon said Wednesday morning that the eleven servicemen aboard the helicopter, including seven Marines and four soldiers, were presumed dead after an Army National Guard's UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter went missing at around 8:30 p.m. after departing from Eglin Air Force Base.

Heavy fog hampered a rescue mission for the helicopter and servicemen Wednesday morning, but rescue teams have now reported finding human remains and helicopter parts as the fog has lifted throughout the day.

The first sighting of debris was reportedly made at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, and airmen and search dogs trolling the beach between the Santa Rosa Island and the Florida Panhandle mainland made more discoveries throughout the day.

Kim Urr, an employee at the nearby Navarre Beach campground, told the Associated Press that she heard strange sounds around when the helicopter is documented as crashing on Tuesday evening.

"It sounded like something metal either being hit or falling over, that's what it sounded like. And there were two booms afterward, similar to what you hear with ordnance booms, but more muffled," Urr said.

"We knew immediately that something was not right. We listened for sirens, but there were no sirens. Then this morning, we heard a lot of sirens," she added.

The White House issued a statement offering its condolences to those lost in Tuesday's crash, although the names of the victims have not been released so family members can be contacted first.