Bodies Of Missing Navy Sailors Found On Damaged Ship

The bodies of the U.S. Navy sailors who were missing after the Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine merchant ship off the coast of Japan have been recovered, the Navy said in a statement.

At the time of the collision, the ship was operating about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan. The Japanese Coast Guard was the lead in the search for the seven missing sailors, the Navy said. In a statement Saturday, the Navy said "a number" of the sailors had been found but did not specify whether all the sailors had been located.

The names of the sailors are being withheld until families are notified.

The missing sailors were located in flooded berthing compartments. The Navy said the sailors were recovered as crews gained access to spaces on the ship, which suffered significant damage during the collision. The sailors are being transferred to a hospital in Yokosuka where they will be identified.

"Thoughts and prayers with the sailors of USS Fitzgerald and their families," President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter. "Thank you to our Japanese allies for their assistance."

SEE ALSO: USS Fitzgerald Collision: What You Need To Know

About 16 hours after the collision, the ship returned to Yokosuka, where it is based. At least three sailors had to be medically evacuated, including the ship's commanding officer, Cdr. Bryce Benson, a Green Bay native who has been the executive officer of the ship since 2015. All those evacuated are awake and remain under observation. The ship has a crew of 303 sailors.

Photos showed extensive damage to the ship on its starboard side.

Details surrounding the collision are unclear. Tom Dyer, a maritime consultant and Navy veteran, told WIRED magazine that the collision was likely the result of a mistake or a series of mistakes. Dyer told the magazine "it's usually human error."

"This has been a difficult day," Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin said in a statement. "I am humbled by the bravery and tenacity of the Fitzgerald crew. Now that the ship is in Yokosuka, I ask that you help the families by maintaining their privacy as we continue the search for our shipmates."

The ship, an Arleigh Burke-class (Flight I) guided missile destroyer, was commissioned in 1994 in Newport, Rhode Island and has been in Japan since 2004. According to the Navy, the ship is one of 15 destroyers and three cruisers used to counter ballistic missile threats worldwide. Before arriving in Japan, the ship was based in San Diego. The ship was named for Lt. William Charles Fitzgerald, who was given the Navy's highest honor for extraordinary heroism in Vietnam.

The USS Fitzgerald is part of the Navy's 7th Fleet, which comprises of 60-70 ships and 40,000 Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

Patch will update this report.

Image and video via US Navy