11 Presumed Dead in U.S. Military Helicopter Crash Off Florida Coast, Officials Say

U.S. military officials announced Wednesday that eleven military servicemen were presumed dead after their helicopter crashed off the coast of Florida during a training exercise.

The Pentagon confirmed that seven Marines and four soldiers were presumed dead when their Army helicopter went missing at around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday evening over the coast of Florida on a span of beach owned by the U.S. military that is frequently used for military training exercises.

Although search efforts were hampered due to heavy fog Wednesday morning, military officials report that debris from the helicopter and human remains have already washed ashore, leading them to determine that all 11 crew members perished in the crash.

The crash reportedly happened somewhere along the 20 mile stretch of shore between Pensacola and Destin.

According to the Associated Press, the marines involved in the crash hail from the North Carolina-based Camp Lejeune, while the soldiers were from a Louisiana-based National Guard unit.

"We have begun to see debris washing ashore on both the north and the south side of the sound," Andy Bourland, a spokesperson for Eglin Air Force Base, where the helicopter departed from, told CNN's "New Day" on Wednesday.

The Marine Corps added in a statement to NBC News that it is working "closely with all parties involved to locate our Marines and the Army aircrew as soon as possible."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Marines, soldiers and family members of those involved in this mishap," it added in a statement.