WHIDBEY ISLAND, Wash. -- You can't go a block in Oak Harbor without seeing the connection between the Naval Air Station Whidbey and the Island County community.
"It's kind of our heart and soul," said Steve Bristow, the President of the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce Board and former Navy Commander. "Everyone either knows or is related or is connected to the base in some way. It's like part of our family is out there."
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He was referencing just how far out there two missing crew members may be after the crash of the Growler east of Mount Rainier on Tuesday. Search and rescue crews found the wreckage in the remote, mountainous wooded area on Wednesday, but not the aviators. They had been on a training mission at the time of the accident.
On Thursday, the U.S. Navy said they, along with local law enforcement and partner agencies, are still searching on the mountain where a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler crashed.A Navy spokesperson also confirmed Thursday that the wreckage currently rests at approximately 6,000 feet altitude in a remote, steep, and heavily wooded area east of Mount Rainier.
"Soldiers from the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord are assisting in the search," a Navy spokesperson wrote in a media release Thursday. "1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) brings specialized mountaineering, high-angle rescue, medical, and technical communication skills necessary to navigate the difficult terrain associated with the Cascade Mountain Range that is inaccessible by other means."
The Navy said the status of the missing crew cannot be confirmed without a site assessment of the debris area. There are also no known hazards to the public, according to the Navy.
Congressman Rick Larsen, who once served on the House Armed Services Committee, just happened to be in Oak Harbor on Thursday and next door to the Naval Air Museum. It was for a long-planned ribbon cutting at the new Habitat for Humanity store.
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"It's a hard day right now, and this ray of hope for our community in Oak Harbor is really needed, but certainly, we want to be thinking about the family members," Larsen told the dignitaries in attendance. "Certainly, the Navy lost an airplane, but there's still crew missing, and you can replace the airplane. It's really hard to replace these women and men who serve in our military."
Bristow said the crew members just returned from deployment, and it is possible they will be found.
"Our priority is to locate our two aviators as quickly and as safely as possible," said Capt. David Ganci, commander, Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet. "Adhering to Dept. of Defense procedure, we cannot identify or confirm the names of aircrew, involved in a mishap until 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified of their status. Please remain patient and limit speculation about the incident.That is one of the best ways we can respect the privacy of the loved ones who are impacted by this tragic event."
"(We) still have hope that maybe they're still out there. If you've seen the area behind Mount Rainier, it's extremely rough terrain, and that's why they're throwing so many assets of this to find these, these brave aircrew," he said. "As long as that ray of hope is out there, then we can, we can at least cling to that."