A US Navy MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, 1 July, leaving one crew member missing and three others rescued, according to the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT). The twin-engine helicopter, assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, went down at approximately 3:30 a.m. Eastern Time (early afternoon local time) while conducting operations. The Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet, which oversees naval forces in the region, said there was no indication the incident was caused by hostile action.

Three of the helicopter’s four crew members were recovered from the sea and are in stable condition aboard the carrier, NAVCENT said in a statement. US Navy assets in the area are continuing to search for the fourth aircrewman, who remains missing. The identities of those involved have not been released. The cause of the emergency landing is under investigation, and military officials have stressed that no evidence points to hostile fire.

The USS George H.W. Bush has been operating in the Middle East since late April as part of a reinforced US naval presence during the conflict with Iran. A ceasefire between Washington and Tehran is in effect, but periodic flare-ups have kept American forces on high alert. Helicopter water landings are particularly hazardous because top-heavy aircraft can overturn upon impact, complicating escape and rescue. The incident follows other recent aviation losses in the region, including an Apache helicopter shot down by an Iranian drone in June and an F-15E fighter jet brought down by Iranian fire in April, though no connection is implied.

The search for the missing crew member was ongoing as of Wednesday, and the Navy has not disclosed the precise location of the landing or the circumstances that forced the helicopter into the sea. The Fifth Fleet’s statement emphasised that there is “no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action.” Further details are expected as the investigation proceeds.