Navy Identifies Commander Who Was Lost in Arabian Sea

The Navy has identified the helicopter squadron commanding officer who disappeared in the Arabian Sea last week as Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards. The Washington Post reports he had served for 20 years and was the father of two children. Edwards was one of four crew members aboard a helicopter that made an emergency water landing on July 1; the other three were rescued soon afterward. A search covering some 14,000 square miles and lasting more than 102 hours was called off Sunday, the Navy said.

His wife, Rebecca, said in a statement that Edwards lived "a life of extraordinary purpose, devoted to his country, his squadron, and above all, the family he loved so completely." The Navy says there is no sign the incident involved hostile fire and has not disclosed the crew's mission at the time. The cause of the emergency landing is under investigation. Edwards, who CBS News reports had a Bachelor of Science degree in physics, has been posthumously promoted to captain, according to acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao.