A sad story has surfaced in the naval community; a petty officer has been washed off to sea and has yet to be found. On May 20th at 7 p.m., the search for the 25 year old Navy officer was suspended after a 23 hour search by lifeguards, Coast Guard members, and Marines came back with no traces of the officer.
The missing officer had been swimming at the Del Mar beach around 5:30 p.m. with another sailor when the incident occurred. It is most possible that a strong rip current could have pulled him out to sea. On Friday, Marine helicopter searched over the ocean as Coast Guard crews scanned below; there were also lifeguards looking on the coastline and inland.
The petty officer has been identified as 25 year old Josh Yeckering from Kentucky who had been serving for over three years in the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit at Camp Pendleton. He fulfilled the responsibilities of a Navy corpsman during his tour in Afghanistan.
The 8.9 magnitude tsunami struck the east coast of Japan Thursday morning with waves standing 30 feet tall and stretching up to six miles inland, devastating all in its path. The destruction of the initial earthquake in addition to the tsunami has left Japan in a vulnerable position. The U.S. military is showing its support along with other nations to prevent the world’s third-largest economy from creating a contagion-like effect in the region.
The U.S. Navy is sending several ships to Japan. San Diego’s USS Ronald Reagan landed in Japan to help assist tsunami victims, providing helicopters, water, and medical supplies. The ship’s scheduled arrival was Sunday morning off the main island of Honshu. The USS Ronald Reagan was en route to South Korea before it was redirected to Japan for humanitarian aid.
Unfortunately, the death tolls are estimated to be as high as 10,000 and many others are left without any food, shelter, and, sometimes, family. It is imperative that the United States aids Japan in any possible way; and the U.S. is happy to do so.
