Miami, Mar 11 (EFE).- The seven Marines and four Army soldiers aboard a helicopter that crashed off the coast of northwestern Florida are presumed dead, U.S. military officials said Wednesday.

 

The Black Hawk helicopter went missing Tuesday night during a routine training exercise.

 

Search teams found debris in the Gulf of Mexico about six hours later and determined that the aircraft crashed near Eglin Air Force Base, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Pensacola.

 

Some human remains have been discovered near the crash site, Eglin base spokesman Andy Bourland told NBC television, adding that parts of the helicopter washed up on land.

 

Fog in the area, which may have played a role in the accident, is hampering efforts to recover the bodies, authorities said.

 

The seven Marines were from a special operations unit based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The helicopter and its four-person crew belonged to the Louisiana Army National Guard.

 

The other UH-60 Black Hawk taking part in the exercise landed safely.

 

Bourland said it was too early to make any definitive statements about the cause of the crash. EFE