The bodies of 7 Marines and a Navy sailor who died after their amphibious assault vehicle sank off the coast of California have been found

• The bodies of seven Marines and a Navy sailor, who were missing after their amphibious assault vehicle sank off the coast of California, have been recovered, the US Marine Corps announced Saturday.
• The accident took place during a routine training exercise near the island of San Clemente on July 30.
• One Marine had already been found dead, while the eight missing service members were presumed deceased.
• The cause of the training accident is still under investigation.

The bodies of seven Marines and a Navy sailor, who were missing and presumed dead after their amphibious assault vehicle sank off the coast of California, have been recovered, the US Marine Corps announced Saturday.

"Our hearts and thoughts of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are with the families of our recovered Marines and Sailor," Col. Christopher Bronzi, commanding officer of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said in a statement on Twitter.

"We hope the successful recovery of our fallen warriors brings some measure of comfort," Bronzi added.

The accident occurred on July 30 near the island of San Clemente, the US Marine Corps told Business Insider in a statement at the time.

Fifteen Marines and one Navy sailor were aboard the AAV, which reported that it was taking on water during a routine training exercise.

Eight Marines were rescued, but one of them — a 20-year-old rifleman from New Braunfels, Texas — was pronounced dead at the scene.

Seven other Marines and the Navy sailor were presumed dead after an unsuccessful 40-hour rescue mission. On August 2, the I Marine Expeditionary Force tweeted that they would cease the search.

The remains of the service members' will be transferred to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for burial preparation.

The AVV has also been recovered, the Marine Expeditionary Force said. It was reportedly was found in 385 feet of water.

The cause of the deadly accident is still under investigation.

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