Relief operations for the recent earthquake in Nepal took an ugly turn when a U.S. Military helicopter with eight passengers on board went dark and was soon found high on a mountainside, but there were no sign of survivors. A recent CNN report named the still missing pilot as Captain Chris Norgen, a resident of Wichita, Kansas.

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In the CNN article, Captain Chris' father, Ron Norgen, relayed his son's life and how he went through rigorous training in Southern California's marine facility.

"He loved to help people," the father said. "Faith is going to pull my wife and I through this." His mother, Terri, had this to say: "I know in my heart that Chris is doing what he wanted to do. I am so proud of everything he has done and accomplished. I still believe in my heart that there might be some hope out there."

Captain Chris Norgren was piloting a UH-1Y Venom "Huey" helicopter Tuesday, May 12, on a relief operation in the northeast of Nepal along with five of his fellow marines and two Nepali soldiers. It was just after a huge aftershock caused further damage throughout the affected areas. Later in the afternoon, the local air traffic controllers lost touch with the helicopter, leading to a widespread search operation where both U.S. and Nepali soldiers scoured the nearby mountainside where the chopper last made contact with air control.

When the U.S. Defense Department confirmed that the chopper had been found on Friday, U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. John Wissler, commanding general of the Nepal-based ground troops, said it was unlikely that there were survivors. He claimed that the harsh weather surrounding the crash site, which was at Gorthali, a peak rising at an altitude of 11,200 feet, compelled him to call off the search Friday evening.

Currently, the Joint Task Force reported that the assessment of the crash is still ongoing, and a thorough investigation is to be conducted regarding the missing crew.

TagsNepal, earthquake, us helicopter