ARABIAN SEA — The U.S. Navy has suspended its search for a sailor missing after an MH-60S Sea Hawk made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea, ending more than four days of continuous rescue operations.
The search stopped on July 5 after more than 102 hours covering more than 14,000 square miles. Ships, helicopters, maritime patrol aircraft and U.S. Air Force assets joined the effort. Crews did not find the missing service member.
The helicopter was assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and was operating in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility when the emergency occurred at about 3:30 a.m. Eastern time on July 1. Four crew members were aboard. Three were rescued and returned to the carrier in stable condition. The fourth remained missing.
The Navy initially withheld the sailor’s name while next-of-kin were notified. Two days after the search ended, officials identified the missing aviator as Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards, commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, the “Nightdippers,” embarked with Carrier Air Wing 7. He is presumed dead.
Edwards, a native of Oakland, Oregon, took command of the squadron in July 2025. He was a career helicopter pilot with more than 2,000 flight hours in the SH-60F, HH-60H and MH-60S. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao directed that he be posthumously promoted to captain. His wife, Rebecca Edwards, thanked the sailors and airmen who searched for him and remembered him as a devoted husband and father of two.
Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, commander of Carrier Strike Group 10, said the strike group’s thoughts were with the family. Capt. Matthew Lewis, commander of Carrier Air Wing 7, called Edwards “the epitome of selfless leadership.”
The search drew forces from two carrier strike groups. Aircraft and helicopters from the George H.W. Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln took part, along with Arleigh Burke-class destroyers including USS Ross, USS Donald Cook, USS Higgins, USS Mason and USS John Finn. P-8A Poseidon patrol aircraft from two squadrons and additional Air Force planes also flew the search. The active effort ended at 3 p.m. Arabian Standard Time on July 5.
Officials have not publicly named a cause for the ditching. The Navy said there was no indication of hostile action. Investigators are reviewing the aircraft, maintenance records, operational data and sea conditions. The MH-60S is a multipurpose helicopter used for logistics, transport, combat support and search-and-rescue.
The Bush was deployed in the region during heightened operations tied to the wider conflict with Iran. Officials have not linked the emergency to enemy fire. Reporting at the time said Edwards’ death brought to 14 the number of U.S. service members killed in the war.
Ending the search closed the immediate rescue phase. The investigation continues. For Edwards’ family and squadron, it marked a hard turn after days of hope over open water—and a reminder of how much the fleet will commit to bring one sailor home, even when the sea does not give him back.
