Maine native among missing in air crash
A Maine native is one of the nine people missing after Thursday’s midair crash between a Coast Guard plane and a Marine Corps helicopter off the coast of Southern California.
Major Samuel Leigh, 35, a native of Belgrade, was one of two Marines in the helicopter. The Coast Guard continued to search yesterday for the Marines and the seven Coast Guard personnel who were aboard the plane.
Leigh’s father, David, 65 of Belgrade, said yesterday that Marine officials had visited his home Friday but did not have much information to share with the family. He expected to hear more later yesterday.
Samuel Leigh decided at age 3 that he wanted to be a Marine, his father said, but when a pilot visited his Brunswick elementary school, he decided his future was in the air. The final decision came down to whether he would fly fixed-wing craft or helicopters, and he chose helicopters.
“This is really the only life he wanted. He was very much married to the Marines,’’ David Leigh said. “He enjoyed his years very, very much.’’
After graduating from Norwich University, a military college in Vermont, Samuel Leigh was commissioned as a Marine officer in 1996, his father said. Samuel Leigh had been stationed in Atlanta and San Diego, had served two tours of duty in Iraq, and spent short periods of time in Korea.
In August, Leigh transferred back to San Diego, where he was living when the crash occurred.
The collision happened at 7:10 p.m. Officials are still investigating the cause.
Coast Guard and Navy search vessels continued searching the area yesterday morning, with the help of crews from Los Angeles and Astoria, Calif.
“We’re still out there searching for survivors,’’ Coast Guard Petty Officer Henry Dunphy said. “We’re still hopeful.
Leigh’s fellow Marine in the helicopter was First Lieutenant Thomas Caliborne, 26, of Douglas, Colo.. The missing Coast Guard members are Lieutenant Commander Che J. Barnes, 35, of Capay, Calif.; Lieutenant Adam W. Bryant, 28 of, Crewe, Va.; Chief Petty Officer John F. Seidman, 43, of Stockton, Calif.; Petty Officer 2d Class Carl P. Grigonis, 35, of Mayfield Heights, Ohio; Petty Officer 2d Class Monica L. Beacham, 29, of Decaturville, Tenn.; Petty Officer 2d Class Jason S. Moletzsky, 26, of Norristown, Pa.; and Petty Officer 3d Class Danny R. Kreder II, 22, of Elm Mott, Texas.