The bodies of four U.S. Army soldiers missing since Thursday morning during a Texas training exercise gone awry have been found, raising the death toll from the incident to nine military members.
The soldiers stationed at Fort Hood were swept away by rising waters after a military vehicle that had been skirting a creek located on the base tipped over, sending the vehicle and some of the men into turbulent waters.
The area had been closed due to steady rains and the risk of flooding, the Associated Press reported.
Five soldiers were declared dead on Thursday, while search teams scoured the bloated creek and beyond using advanced sonar equipment.
The four soldiers missing for more than a day were found at about 7 p.m. on Friday, Army officials said. Several other soldiers were rescued soon after the accident took place. Those who died were members of the 16th Field Artillery Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division.
A spokesperson for the fort, Chris Haug, said the incident was "an unfortunate accident."
"This was a tactical vehicle and at the time they were in a proper place for what they were training," Haug said. "
Army Maj. Gen. John Uberti, deputy commanding general at Fort Hood, said Friday that several other soldiers were saved following the incident by members of their unit.
"Due to the quick action of some other soldiers that were training, we were able to rescue three soldiers who are in stable condition at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center," he said.