Remains found on a Guam beach are that of an airman who went missing early last week, Air Force officials said Saturday.

Airman Alec Dye was last seen at Tarague Beach on Guam's northern shore in the early hours of Dec. 1.

KUAM News reported that a call for help came in to Andersen Air Force Base security at 4:45 a.m. Search-and-rescue efforts on land and sea were quickly mobilized. On Wednesday, remains were recovered on the beach where Dye went missing. They were confirmed to be the airman's the next day.

Dye, a crew chief, was deployed to Andersen Air Force Base from the 2nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

"The news is beyond sad and our team is mourning the loss of one of our own," Col. Kristin Goodwin, commander of the 2nd Bomb Wing, said during a Saturday briefing at Barksdale. "As great as our pain is, though, it pales in comparison to the loss that is felt by the Dye family and all of those who loved and knew Alec, and we want to ensure that they know that we are here to help them and support them in any capacity."

Responders from the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Guam Police Department and Guam Fire Rescue assisted in the search for Dye.

"We want to express our gratitude to the more than 180 Guam individuals, both federal and local agencies, who were involved in the search and recovery efforts for Alec," Goodwin said.

news@stripes.com

Migrated