Mysterious accident in the swamp - how the soldiers died

Lithuania
The theory behind the soldiers' fatal accident in Lithuania

Felix Wilow

Published 2025-04-01 23.58

They are believed to have been stuck in their military vehicle - while they sank through the swamp on the Belarusian border.

After the massive search effort, the accident that cost the lives of four American soldiers is now being investigated.

         

         Armored vehicle found in swamp - four soldiers dead

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When the 70-ton military vehicle M88 Hercules was pulled out of the deep muddy bog on Monday, three of the four soldiers who had been missing for almost a week were found.

On Tuesday, the fourth soldier was also found after a huge rescue effort.

Dante D. Taitano, 21, Edvin F. Franco, 25, and Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, have been confirmed dead after the accident in Lithuania. Another soldier has died, but has not been released. Photo: Department of Defense/AP

Wrestled through dark mud

Hundreds of people from both local and foreign forces were involved. The week-long search required combing through dense forests and swampy terrain and advanced specialized equipment to stabilize the ground in the area.

Polish engineers and soldiers were called in when the armored vehicle was towed from a depth of five meters. The divers were described as having had to “fight their way through the mud” without seeing anything.

The Army has released the identities of the three found on Monday: Jose Duenez, Jr., 25, Edvin F. Franco, 25, and Dante D. Taitano, 21, Fox News reports. The identity of the fourth soldier has not yet been released.

An investigation is underway to determine what went wrong.

During the rescue operation, the soldiers dug in the mud. Photo: Mindaugas Kulbis/AP

“Devastating”

According to Nicholas “Nuke” Chopp, a spokesman for US Army Europe and Africa, the military vehicle is believed to have been traveling at high speed before “gravity took its toll” and pulled it down into the abyss.

A source told the New York Times that they may have gotten lost during the degenerate exercise. It is feared that the soldiers were trapped in the vehicle when the accident occurred.

“This loss is simply devastating,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, in a statement.

Soldiers in Lithuania mourn after the accident involving the three American soldiers. Photo: Mindaugas Kulbis/AP