Three U.S. Soldiers Found Dead in Lithuania Training Accident, Search Continues for Fourth

Members of Commader, Task Force (CTF) 68 U.S. Navy dive team arrive on site to assess diving operations to recover four U.S. soldiers in a submerged M88 Hercules on a training site near Pabadre, Lithuania on March 29, 2025.

Three of the four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during a training mission near Pabradė, Lithuania, last week were found dead on Monday, while the search continues for the fourth, according to the U.S. Army.

The identities of the soldiers have not been released. The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle they were in was recovered from a swamp early Monday morning after six days of efforts to retrieve it. The soldiers, based in Fort Stewart, Georgia, were reported missing last Tuesday during a training exercise.

On Wednesday, the 63-ton vehicle was discovered submerged in approximately 15 feet of water and thick, clay-like mud within a training area. Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene stated that the vehicle most likely drove into the swamp and may have sunk diagonally to the bottom.

The recovery effort was hampered by the swamp's muddy conditions. The Army deployed various assets, including a large-capacity slurry pump, cranes, over 30 tons of gravel, and subject matter experts. The Polish Armed Forces also contributed by sending a unit of military engineers equipped with an additional water pump, tracked recovery vehicles, other specialized equipment, and 150 personnel.

U.S. Navy divers arrived at the site over the weekend and, by Sunday night, had navigated through thick layers of mud and sediment with zero visibility to attach steel cables to the submerged vehicle. After approximately two hours of hoisting, the vehicle was successfully retrieved from the bog.

The recovery team has now transitioned to a systematic search using ground-penetrating radar provided by Lithuanian experts to aid in locating the fourth soldier.

"The Soldiers we have lost in this tragedy were not just Soldiers -- they were a part of our family," said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division. "The search isn’t finished until everyone is home. Words cannot express our gratitude to those still working around the clock during these extensive search and recovery efforts."

The cause of the accident remains under investigation.