The bodies of three Marines killed in the MV-22B Osprey crash have been recovered from the crash site, the Marine Corps said.
Officials say three Marines were among the 23 passengers on board the MV-22B Osprey when it crashed on Melville Island, north of Darwin, Australia’s Northern Territory, on Sunday. .
Marine Corps Rotating Force – Darwin (MRF-D) identified the Marine as Capt. Eleanor V. Lebeau, a 29-year-old woman from Belleville, Illinois who served as an MV-22B pilot. Corporal Spencer R. Collart, a 21-year-old male from Arlington, Virginia, who served as MV-22B crew commander. Major Tobin J. Lewis is a 37-year-old man from Jefferson, Colorado, who was also an MV-22B pilot and officer.
The Marine Corps said in a statement Tuesday that the three were pronounced dead at the crash site, adding that the bodies were taken to Darwin later that day.
Three US Marines killed in Osprey crash in Australia identified
Authorities have identified the three U.S. Marines who died when a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey crashed in Australia as Spencer R. Collat, a 21-year-old man from Arlington, Virginia, who served as chief of the MV-22B crew. identified as a corporal. U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Eleanor V. Lebeau, 29-year-old female from Belleville, Illinois, served as an MV-22B pilot. and U.S. Marine Corps Major Tobin J. Lewis, a 37-year-old male from Jefferson, Colorado, also an MV-22B pilot and officer. (U.S. Marine Corps/U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sergeant Haley D. Clay)
Colonel Brendan Sullivan, commander of the Darwin Marine Corps Rotational Force, said the primary focus was on investigating the cause of the crash and assisting with recovery.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family,” Sullivan said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and all concerned.”
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Australian Navy Chief Seaman Keely Hagedorn guides a US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey during take-off and landing exercises on the flight deck of HMAS Adelaide, Whitsunday Islands off the coast of Australia, during Sea Raider Exercise, Australian Defense, 7 August 2023. The Ministry of Defense announced that a Bell-Boeing tiltrotor V-22 Osprey flew over Melville Island during Exercise “Predators Run” involving forces from the United States, Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Timor-Leste on Sunday, August 27, 2023. announced that it had crashed. . (Sergeant Andrew Sleeman/Australian Navy, via AP)
The three dead Marines are based in Darwin.
President Biden issued a statement on social media regarding the crash.
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This undated photo provided by the U.S. Marine Corps shows Major Tobin J. Lewis. The U.S. Marine Corps on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, released the names of three Marines, including Lewis, who died in a violent tiltrotor plane crash on an island in northern Australia this week. (U.S. Marine Corps)
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Marine Corps shows Marine Corps V-22B Osprey pilot Col. Eleanor V. Lebeau. The U.S. Marine Corps on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, released the names of three Marines, including Bo, who died in a violent tiltrotor plane crash on an island in northern Australia this week. (U.S. Marine Corps)
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Marine Corps shows a corporal. Spencer R. Karato. The U.S. Marine Corps on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, released the names of three Marines, including Korat, who died in a violent tiltrotor plane crash on an island in northern Australia this week. (U.S. Marine Corps)
“Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this fatal crash,” Biden tweeted. “We also pray for the repose of the souls of the injured.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
