4 soldiers presumed dead in Black Hawk helicopter crash in Washington state

Paige Cornwell, The Seattle Times on Sep 19, 2025

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SEATTLE — The four soldiers who were aboard a Black Hawk helicopter that went down near Summit Lake in Thurston County on Wednesday night likely died in the crash, the Army said Friday.

Recovery efforts continued Friday for the four service members, who were assigned to the 160 th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, a unit known as the “Night Stalkers.”

“Our hearts are with the families, friends, and teammates of these Night Stalkers,” Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, the commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said in a news release. “They were elite warriors who embodied the highest values of the Army and the Army Special Operations, and their sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

The Army has not yet identified who was the MH-60 Black Hawk that went down in a rural area about 40 miles from Joint Base Lewis-McChord around 9 p.m. Wednesday. The cause is under investigation.

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