Shipping Container Falls Into Ocean from Helicopter

A steel cargo shipping container fell from a heavy-lift helicopter into the waters off the western shore of Okinawa, Japan, on Tuesday July 13 and the Marine Corps are investigating. 

According to a statement released Tuesday by the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, the 8-foot-long, 6-foot-wide, and 8-foot-tall Tri-Con container dropped from a CH-53E Super Stallion between Irisuna and Tonaki islands at 12:30 p.m. 

Upon completing a training exercise on Irisuna, the chopper was returning. According to a report by The Okinawa Times, no injuries were reported as a result of the incident. 

Maj. Ken Kunze, a Marine spokesman, said Wednesday that the Marines are trying to determine whether they can rescue the container, whose depth at this time is unknown.

An estimated 2,600 pounds is what a Tri-Con container that is completely empty weighs.

Kunze stated that the container was filled with tools, meals ready to eat, around 3 gallons of fuel and was on its way to a beach landing zone on the Army Base Torii Station in Yomitan.

The training scenario used some of the contents during a routine exercise by the 3rd Marine Logistics Group and Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 4 known as Poseidon’s Watchtower 21, which began on June 2 and completed on June 17. 

This is now reportedly the third incident that has occurred since December 2017, where objects have fallen from Marine Corps aircraft at Okinawa.