ST. LOUIS – The remains of a fallen Navy sailor who died in a helicopter crash in August will return home Friday.
Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Bailey J. Tucker, 21, from St. Louis, Missouri was one of five people killed in a chopper crash near San Diego on August 31.
The MH-60S crashed on Aug. 31 about 70 miles (112 kilometers) off San Diego during what the Navy described as routine flight operations. It was operating from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
One sailor was rescued after the crash. Five sailors aboard the aircraft carrier were injured but were said to be in stable condition.
The Navy declared the sailors dead on September 4 following days of search-and-rescue efforts and switched to recovering their bodies.
The MH-60S helicopter typically carries a crew of about four and is used in missions including combat support, humanitarian disaster relief and search and rescue.
The aircraft belongs to the Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 8.
Tucker was a 2018 graduate of Parkway North High School.
His relatives said his body will arrive at Lambert Airport at some point on Friday. A private procession will travel from Lambert to Cave Springs at approximately 5 p.m.