Navy identifies missing helicopter commander after Arabian Sea crash

Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards, the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5, was declared missing after an MH-60S helicopter made an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea and three of the four crew members were rescued. The Navy identified Edwards on July 7, two days after it suspended the active search.

The crash happened July 1 while the aircraft, assigned to HSC-5, was flying a routine patrol in the Arabian Sea. That mission places a helicopter at the center of a strike group’s day-to-day work, moving between search and rescue coverage, logistics support, medical evacuation, Naval Special Warfare support and maritime security tasks while the carrier force operates in the Middle East. The incident occurred as the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group remained deployed in the region as part of the broader U.S. naval presence there.

The search stretched more than 102 hours and covered over 14,000 square miles in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility before the Navy halted active operations on July 5. Ships and aircraft from two carrier strike groups joined two Patrol and Reconnaissance Squadrons flying P-8A Poseidon aircraft, along with multiple U.S. Air Force aircraft, in the effort to find Edwards and recover the crew.

Edwards was the commanding officer of HSC-5, the Nightdippers, a squadron based at Naval Station Norfolk and assigned to Carrier Air Wing 7 aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. The squadron was commissioned on January 3, 1956, at Naval Air Station Key West and has flown missions ranging from search and rescue and anti-surface warfare to logistics support, medical evacuation and non-combatant evacuation operations. Its history includes Mercury spacecraft recoveries, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Vigilant Warrior, Operation Enduring Freedom and Hurricane Katrina relief.

A native of Oakland, Oregon, Edwards graduated from Norfolk State University in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in physics, received his commission through Naval ROTC and earned his Wings of Gold in 2008. He assumed command of HSC-5 in July 2025 and previously served with HSC-22, HSC-84, Naval Special Warfare Group 4 and HSC-85.

Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, commander of Carrier Strike Group 10, said the thoughts and prayers of the command were with the Edwards family. Capt. Matthew Lewis, commander of Carrier Air Wing 7, described Edwards as a selfless leader who had dedicated himself to service and sacrifice for 20 years. Rebecca Edwards said her husband served with honor, courage and commitment, and led with humility, integrity and compassion. Edwards is survived by his wife, Rebecca, two children and an extended family.