Authorities say one of the six U.S. Marines aboard a helicopter that crashed during a relief mission in earthquake-hit Nepal was identified as a 30-year-old from Riverside County.
A joint military task force said Sunday that Sgt. Eric M. Seaman was one of six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese soldiers who died when their helicopter crashed May 12.
The wreckage of the UH-1 "Huey" was found Friday following days of intense searching in the mountains northeast of Kathmandu, Nepal's capital.
Seaman enlisted in the Marines in 2009. He served with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469, Marine Aircraft Group 39, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at Camp Pendleton.
The Press-Enterprise reports that small American flags were posted in the front yard of Seaman's home in Murrieta on Sunday. A sign near the door asked for privacy for the family.
The other U.S. Marines who were killed were Capt. Dustin R. Lukasiewicz, from Nebraska, Capt. Christopher L. Norgren, from Kansas, Sgt. Ward M. Johnson IV, from Florida, Cpl. Sara A. Medina, from Illinois, and Lance Cpl. Jacob A. Hug, from Arizona, according to a statement from the U.S. military joint task force in Okinawa, Japan.
Nepal's army identified its soldiers as Tapendra Rawal and Basanta Titara.
