Lithuania deploys dogs in search for final missing US soldier after vehicle sank in swamp

Police working dogs are now involved in the search for the fourth and final missing U.S. soldier whose armored vehicle sank in a swamp in Lithuania last week. 

Three American soldiers were declared deceased Monday after crews retrieved the M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle from a peat bog near Pabradė, Lithuania. The vehicle disappeared on March 25 "while conducting a mission to repair and tow an immobilized tactical vehicle," according to U.S. Army Europe and Africa. 

"Police working dogs from the Lithuanian Armed Forces began work yesterday afternoon and NATO ally Estonia joined the recovery efforts early this morning," U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a statement Tuesday.  

"Two Estonian recovery dogs, Tilt and Maik, and their handlers flew from Tallinn, Estonia. They arrived on scene at 2:00 a.m. and began searching at 7:00 a.m. this morning. Handlers have positioned the dogs in a U.S. Navy Rigid Inflatable Boat to locate any trace scents below the surface," it added. 

3 AMERICAN SOLDIERS DECEASED AFTER US ARMORED VEHICLE PULLED FROM LITHUANIAN SWAMP 

Maik, a search and rescue military police dog and his handler from the Estonian Defense Forces assist in the search for a missing American soldier near Pabrade, Lithuania on Tuesday, April 1.  (U.S. Army/U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Saunders)

U.S. Army Europe and Africa also said "more capabilities continue to flow to the recovery site, including... two specialized drone systems – including one equipped with ground-penetrating radar – are being used to assist in the search." 

"The names of the deceased are withheld pending confirmation of next of kin," it continued. "An investigation into the circumstances around this incident is ongoing." 

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A search is ongoing Tuesday for the fourth and final missing U.S. soldier in Lithuania. (U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Christopher Saunders)

Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll wrote on X Monday that "We will not rest until the fourth and final Soldier is found and brought home.  

"No words can truly capture the pain of this loss, but my deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and fellow soldiers mourning their heroes," he said. 

U.S. Army vehicles, including two M88 recovery vehicles, are near Vilnius, Lithuania, on Tuesday as efforts continue to find a missing American soldier. (AP/Mindaugas Kulbis)

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U.S. Army Europe and Africa announced Monday that the armored vehicle was removed from the swamp "after a six-day-long effort that required tremendous resources from Lithuania, our steadfast ally, and hundreds of service members from the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Polish Armed Forces – along with other elements from the Lithuanian government and civilian agencies – to solve the engineering challenge of recovering the 63-ton-vehicle from an area surrounded by unstable ground conditions."