Two branches of the United States military are searching for a missing U.S. Marine, believed to have gone overboard Thursday in the seas southeast of the Philippines.
The unidentified Marine, with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego’s North County, was reported overboard at 9:40 a.m. PST while USS Essex was conducting routine operations in the Sulu Sea.
Shortly after the Marine was reported missing, a search and rescue operation involving the U.S. Marines, the U.S. Navy and Philippine ships and aircraft was launched.
The search entered its second day on Friday.
"As we continue our search operation, we ask that you keep our Marine and the Marine's family in your thoughts and prayers," said 13th MEU Commanding Officer Col. Chandler Nelms. "We remain committed to searching for and finding our Marine."
The U.S. Marines said searches have been conducted inside the ship while aircraft searched the Sulu Sea and Surigao Strait, covering about 3,000 square miles, for the missing Marine.
The Marine's family has been notified but the name was being withheld while the search is ongoing, the U.S. Marines said.
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USS Essex is homeported at Naval Base San Diego.
No other information was available.
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