Hunt For GA Soldiers In Lithuania Challenged By Terrain, Army Says

GEORGIA — Military officials on Thursday said they are facing obstacles of water, thick mud and soft ground in the ongoing search for four missing Georgia soldiers in Lithuania.

The unnamed soldiers disappeared Tuesday morning during a scheduled training in the European country, the U.S. Army Europe and Africa said. The group was on a maintenance mission to recover a U.S. Army vehicle in a training area.

The soldiers are from the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, military officials said.

"We are leveraging every available U.S. and Lithuanian asset to coordinate for and provide the required resources for this effort," U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, the commanding general of 1st Armored Division, said in a news release.

Their M88 Hercules armored vehicle was found submerged in water near the training area in Pabradė, Lithuania, military officials said.

The soldiers were likely trapped inside as the M88 sank, per a report from The New York Times, citing a U.S. Army official in Europe.

The massive hunt included searching thick forests and swampy terrain; but, water, thick mud and soft ground have complicated efforts, military officials said.

Water in the search area has had to be drained, and barriers made from sand and dirt are being used to contain an area where water can be pumped and mud can be dredged. The Army said this would aid emergency personnel in accessing the M88.

”Due to the terrain, this is an incredibly complex engineering effort," Maj. Robin Bruce, 1st Armored Division Engineer, said in the release. "The team on the ground is working to remove enough water and mud for rescue teams to safely reach, stabilize and access the vehicle. Lithuanian and U.S. Army engineers are currently pumping water and excavating mud from the site and making improvements to the surrounding area to support the heavy equipment needed for recovery. The team is exploring every available option to speed up this process.”

• RELATED: 4 Missing GA Soldiers Die In Lithuania: Reports

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte initially said the soldiers had died. However, NATO said otherwise in a tweet that appears to have since been deleted.

The Associated Press shared the tweeted statement from NATO: “The search is ongoing. We regret any confusion about remarks @SecGenNATO delivered on this today. He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown.”

Asked Wednesday evening by reporters if he had been briefed about the missing soldiers, President Donald Trump said, “No, I haven’t.”

After news broke of the soldiers' presumed deaths, Gov. Brian Kemp said he was praying for their loved ones.

Taylor expressed efforts to locate the missing soldiers will not end until they are found.

"This tragic situation weighs heavily on all of us and we’re keeping the families, friends and teammates of our soldiers and recovery team in our thoughts and prayers," Taylor said in the release. "We want everyone to know, we will not stop until our soldiers are found."