---
title: "Florida airman missing after falling from C-130 into Gulf of Mexico"
description: "The Air Force is searching for an airman who fell from an C-130 Hercules transport aircraft during a training exercise over the Gulf of Mexico, the service announced on Tuesday"
date: "2019-11-06"
modified: "2019-11-06"
authors:
  - name: "Jared Keller"
    job_title: "Former Managing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jaredkeller.md"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/airman-missing-c130-gulf-mexico/"
categories:
  - "Air Force"
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Around the World"
  - "Military Branches"
  - "News"
  - "Rescue"
  - "Tactics"
  - "Tech & Tactics"
  - "United States"
tags:
  - "Northern Command"
  - "special operations command"
---

# Florida airman missing after falling from C-130 into Gulf of Mexico

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/22062793-1.jpg>)

The Air Force is searching for an airman who fell from an C-130 Hercules transport aircraft during a training exercise over the Gulf of Mexico, the service [announced](<https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/11/06/coast-guard-searches-airman-who-fell-c-130-while-training-over-gulf-mexico.html>) on Tuesday.

The airman, assigned to the 24th Special Operations Wing, "exited his aircraft during a jump training scenario over the Gulf of Mexico approximately 4 miles south" of Hurlburt Field in Florida, [according](<https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/11/06/coast-guard-searches-airman-who-fell-c-130-while-training-over-gulf-mexico.html>) to an Air Force statement.

Multiple Coast Guard crews are [assisting](<https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20191105/hurlburt-airman-from-24th-sow-missing-after-falling-from-plane-search-ongoing>) the Air Force with the search, Coast Guard Petty Officer Kamil Zdankowski [told](<https://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/20191105/hurlburt-airman-from-24th-sow-missing-after-falling-from-plane-search-ongoing>) the Northwest Florida Daily News.

FLorida ABC News affiliate WEAR-TV [reports](<https://weartv.com/news/local/coast-guard-airman-missing-after-falling-from-c-130>) that the airman, a staff sergeant, exited the aircraft at around 1,500 feet and managed to deploy his parachute before hitting the water.

Crew members aboard the C-130 "initially saw the airman treading water but lost sight of him while making a turn in an effort to pick him up," Fox News [reports](<https://www.foxnews.com/us/air-force-airman-missing-after-fall-into-gulf-of-mexico-from-c-130-aircraft>).

*This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as it becomes available.*

## Author
Jared Keller is the former managing editor of Task & Purpose. His writing has appeared in Aeon, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/jaredbkeller>)  
[Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/jaredbkeller>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredbkeller/>)  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/jaredbkelller/>)

## More

- [Coast Guard suspends search for special tactics airman who fell from C-130](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/coast-guard-suspends-search-for-special-tactics-airman-who-fell-from-c-130.md>)
- [Special tactics airman dies during training swim in Florida](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/airman-dies-training-swim-florida-special-tactics.md>)
- [Special tactics airman who fell from a C-130 was dedicated to ‘God, our freedoms, peace, and his family’](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/special-tactics-airman-identified.md>)
- [The Air Force wants to turn the C-130 into a floating commando wagon](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-mc-130j-float-water-landing.md>)
- [Airman who died in New Mexico lake remembered as ‘bright spot’ in unit](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-airman-kirtland-recovered.md>)
- [Army Special Forces Soldier Charged With Smuggling Kilos Of Cocaine On Military Aircraft](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-special-forces-cocaine-smuggling.md>)
- [How airmen overcame -77 degree weather, frostnip to fix a C-130 in Antarctica](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/air-force-lc-130-skibird-antarctica.md>)
- [C-130s from around the world gather for an ‘elephant walk’](<https://taskandpurpose.com/news/c-130s-guam-elephant-walk.md>)