The U.S. Navy has identified Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards as the missing sailor who went down with an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter during an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea on July 1. The search for Edwards, the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 (HSC-5), was suspended after 102 hours and covered 14,000 square miles, according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. Three of the four crew members were rescued, but Edwards remains missing.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao has directed that Edwards be posthumously promoted to captain, honoring his 20-year career. Edwards, a native of Oakland, Oregon, earned his Wings of Gold in 2008 and assumed command of HSC-5 in July 2023.
Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, commander of Carrier Strike Group 10, praised Edwards as a "fearless leader" and expressed condolences to his family. The search involved multiple aircraft carriers, destroyers, and U.S. Air Force aircraft.
Edwards is survived by his family, and the Navy has emphasized its support for his loved ones and shipmates.