Bad weather keeps helicopter wreckage 25 feet under water

NAVARRE, Fla. -- Divers have found the wreckage of a military helicopter in just 25 feet of water after it crashed in dense fog during a Florida training mission, killing seven elite Marines and four experienced soldiers. But more bad weather Thursday delayed the recovery of bodies and the flight recorder.

The mission changed from rescue to recovery after divers inspected the shattered core of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, said Col. Monte Cannon, vice-commander of the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base.

Because of dense fog, there's almost no visibility at the spot where the wreckage was found, forcing search crews to move slowly to avoid colliding with each other, and the surf is too rough to pull the wreckage to the surface.

Dozens of airmen walked the shores of Santa Rosa Sound on Thursday, recovering pieces of clothing and bits of wreckage, but the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Thursday afternoon and instead will focus on helping the Army recover the remaining fuselage and debris, it said.

Two of the soldiers' bodies were recovered, but two others were believed to remain inside the wreckage, said Maj. Gen. Glenn H. Curtis, adjutant general of the Louisiana Army National Guard, which flew the helicopter.

The military has not identified those killed, but some family members have confirmed the deaths.

One of the Marines killed was Kerry Kemp, whose wife, Jenna, was notified overnight her husband's remains had been found. Another victim was Marcus Bawol, 27, from Warren, Michigan, north of Detroit.

President Barack Obama has promised a thorough investigation into the cause.