The search continued on Sunday for the twelve marines, including Malvern’s Captain Brian T. Kennedy, who were reported missing late Thursday following the crash of two helicopters off the coast of Hawaii during a night time training mission, writes philly.com.

Thirty-one year old Captain Kennedy is one of two Pennsylvanians among the missing marines, the second being Sergeant Adam C. Schoeller, 25, from Gardners.

The search began after the two helicopters, each carrying six marines, did not return to their base at Kaneohe Bay as planned. Several hours into the search, a Coast Guard helicopter and C-130 airplane noticed what looked like aircraft debris in the water around two and a half miles off Oahu.

The search is being conducted under extremely difficult conditions. Rescuers have had to fight high waves that have scattered the debris from the two missing aircraft. There are no plans to suspend the immense search and rescue mission until all options have been exhausted.

“Before we stop, we will notify all of the family members so they will have advance notice that we intend to stop,” the Chief of Staff for the 14th Coast Guard district in Honolulu, Captain James Jenkins, told reporters.

By the end of Sunday’s efforts, military officials had no new information for the public, but they did release the names, ages, and hometowns of the Marines.

Captain Kennedy’s father, William Kennedy, said that his son had graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and is a native of Malvern.

“This is where he grew up and went to high school, but since he graduated from the Naval Academy, he’s been on assignment,” he said.

While he declined to give any further comments, he did say of the rescuers, “We hope they’re successful.”