Two Guardsmen killed in military helicopter crash in Prentiss County

PHOTO CREDIT: WTVA

BALDWYN, Miss. (AP) — Two National Guard members died after a helicopter crashed Friday afternoon during a training flight in northeast Mississippi, officials said.

The aircraft went down in a wooded area near Baldwyn, Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar told WTVA-TV. The site is about 115 miles  southeast of Memphis, Tennessee.

The helicopter was AH-64 Apache “flying a routine training flight,” the Mississippi National Guard said in a news release.

In a statement Friday, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said safety crews were working the scene of the crash with local authorities. He confirmed the death of the two unidentified National Guard members.

“Mississippi will always be grateful for their service and we will never forget them,” Reeves said.

In a statement, the Mississippi National Guard said, “Our paramount concern at this time is to ensure proper casualty assistance is conducted to support the surviving family members. One Soldier was in A Company 1-149 Aviation Regiment Unit and the second Soldier was in D Company 2-151 Lakota Medical Evacuation Unit, Mississippi National Guard. We are grateful to the first responders and safety crews who are still working the scene of the accident with local authorities. Like all accidents, this incident will be investigated. We are not at liberty to discuss any details of this accident during an ongoing investigation. Please keep the members of the Mississippi National Guard and their Families in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

News 25 will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.