USAF Airman Falls Off Plane, Seen 'Treading Water' Before Disappearing
A U.S. Air Force (USAF) airman training off the Florida coast was reported missing after he fell off a plane into the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.
Coast Guard Mobile Sector spokesman Juston Lee told CNN that the plane crew said the USAF airman fell off the C-130 four-engine aircraft and was treading through but “when they turned back around to find him, they couldn’t see him.”
The USAF airman reportedly deployed his parachute after jumping off the plane and fell about 1,500 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, about four miles south of Hurlburt Field, Florida.
The Northwest Florida Daily News reported that the Coast Guard was involved in the search for the airman.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Kamil Zdankowski said that the team was adjusting its search area on the basis of currents in the region.
According to Air Force Times, the unidentified USAF airman was from the 24th Special Operations Wing and was participating in a jump-training exercise.
The 24th SOW said that they will follow up with more details regarding the search once information is available.