Only crew aboard helicopters that crashed

Mooers says each aircraft had six people aboard.

A Coast Guard cutter was on scene and another one was en route and expected to arrive shortly, McKenzie said.

“The weather is making it very hard”, Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr told reporters.

Marine Capt. Timothy Irish confirmed to the AP that an active search and rescue is underway for two CH-53 transport helicopters.

There was no immediate word on the fate of those aboard or what caused the accident.

Irish said the Marines have reached out to all of the family members of those on board the helicopters, and are also offering counseling to the larger Marine community in the islands.

The two helicopters were believed to have collided late Thursday, Mooers said.

The 12 Marines remain missing. Carr said debris had been found across the entire search area, but there were no signs of survivors.

Various agencies have been searching above water, below water and along the shoreline since late Thursday when a civilian reported seeing the aircraft flying and then a fireball.

Officials say high surf is dispersing the debris and complicating the search and rescue effort.

“I pray to the man upstairs to help them – to bring them home safely”, she said.

The Florala Fire and Rescue Department shared a photo of Turner on its Facebook page confirming he is from the city on Alabama’s border with Florida, as well as his involvement in the helicopter crash.

Ty Hart, 21, was one of 12 crew members aboard the two helicopters, Hart’s family told KGW’s Katherine Cook.

The Coast Guard is encouraging local surfers and tourists to stay away from the water, due to the dangers of the heavy waves and debris. Lifeguards also pitched in, searching within a mile of shore for debris. The family described him as a passionate Marine and thanked people praying for him.

“Thoughts and prayers are with our Marines and their families in Hawaii as search efforts continue”, General Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, said in a message on Twitter.

In 2012, one person was killed and three injured when a CH-53D Sea Stallion made a “hard impact” landing while on a night training flight.