SALT LAKE CITY — More than a month after a military aircraft crashed near Japan, recovery efforts concluded with officials saying they were unable to locate a St. George flight surgeon who died in the incident.
Maj. Eric V. Spendlove was a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force, 353rd Special Operations Wing.
On November 29, Spendlove was aboard the CV-22B Osprey when it went down during a training mission off the southwestern coast of Japan.
With the cooperation of multiple agencies, a 40-day search ensued to try to locate Spendlove and seven other crew members beneath the ocean's surface.
In an update, The Air Force Special Operations Command said they were unsuccessful in locating the St. George airman.
Remembered as the ultimate dad, family told FOX 13 News Spendlove wanted to give his four children and wife the world.
“While it is with tremendous deep regret that we were unable to find our last teammate, Maj. Eric Spendlove, the combined joint efforts of our Japanese allies and U.S. military forces has been inspiring to see the lengths our forces will go in order to attempt to bring a teammate home,” said Rear Adm. Jeromy Williams, Commander Special Operations Command Pacific. “Our main priority since the mishap has been locating and bringing our Heroes back to their families."
The bodies of the seven other crew members were located during the extensive search.
"After over a month of exhausting air, surface, sub-surface, and modeling and simulation assets, we have ruled out all identified possible options to recover our teammate," Williams said. "Our thoughts remain with the families and squadron mates of our CV-22 aircrew and we extend our sincerest gratitude to every asset who assisted in the search.”
Also recovered during the search was the "majority of the aircraft" that crashed. The cause of the crash has not been publicly announced and officials say an investigation continues.
