Four American service personnel who were killed in a helicopter crash in north Norfolk paid "the ultimate sacrifice", their commanding officer has said.
Captains Christopher Stover and Sean Ruane, Technical Sergeant Dale Mathews and Staff Sergeant Afton Ponce died when their Pave Hawk helicopter came down on a marsh near Cley next the Sea on Tuesday night.
Colonel Kyle Robinson, commander of 48th Fighter Wing, in which the helicopter flew, said: "I am deeply saddened by the loss of these airmen.
"They've made the ultimate sacrifice while training to save the lives of others."
Speaking directly to the families of the dead crew, he told a news conference on Thursday: "As a husband and father myself, I can't imagine how heartbroken you must be. We are thinking of you."
Tech Sgt Dale Mathews and Capt Sean Ruane RAF Lakenheath, where the US Air Force's 48th Fighter Wing is based, said Capt Stover and Capt Ruane were the pilots during the routine training flight.
Tech Sgt Mathews and SSgt Ponce were acting as special mission aviators.
Col Robinson said he was "humbled" by the "outpouring in words" from the British public, who had expressed their condolences.
He said it was too early to determine what had caused the crash.
48th Fighter Wing commander Colonel Kyle Robinson Air accident, RAF and US investigators have been at the scene of the tragedy, where debris was strewn across an area the size of a football pitch.
The investigation has been hampered by the live ammunition the helicopter had been carrying, with bullets scattered around the scene. A 400m police cordon is expected to remain in place until Monday.
Norfolk Police said on Thursday morning that the attempt to recover the bodies was under way.
It was expected to take much of the day with the bodies being removed one by one. The removal of the wreckage may go on into next week, a spokesman added.
Norfolk Police Chief Superintendent Bob Scully said: "Police and other agencies remain on scene today as the investigation continues and will ensure the recovery of the bodies is dignified and respectful.
"The scene is on difficult ground and the longer-term investigation and recovery work will take many more weeks."
The Pave Hawk - a derivative of the US Army's more famous Black Hawk - gets its name from the PAVE acronym, which stands for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.
The helicopter is used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.
:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.
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