First Lt. Marciano Parisano, shown here in a 2018 high school photo, died in Honduras while off duty, the military said in a statement May 4, 2025. Parisano was a Black Hawk helicopter pilot who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. (Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD)

An Army Black Hawk pilot died in Honduras while off duty, service officials said over the weekend.

First Lt. Marciano Parisano, 25, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, was off base in the city of Comayagua when his body was discovered Saturday, according to a statement released the following day by Joint Task Force-Bravo.

He was serving at Soto Cano Air Base, Joint Task Force-Bravo commander Col. Daniel Alder said in the statement. Also known as Palmerola Air Base, it is located about 5 miles south of Comayagua.

Parisano was on a liberty pass at the time his body was discovered, the statement said. Liberty passes allow service members to be away from their duty station for a short period, typically for leisure.

An investigation into the circumstances surrounding Parisano’s death is ongoing, the statement said.

U.S. Army soldiers conduct preflight inspections on a 1st Battalion, 228th Aviation Regiment, UH-60 Black Hawk at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras in 2023. 1st Lt. Marciano Parisano, a Black Hawk pilot deployed to the base, died while off duty, the military said in a statement May 4, 2025. (Nicolas Erwin/U.S. Air Force)

Joint Task Force-Bravo is the U.S. military’s primary expeditionary task force for regional security cooperation in Central America. Its mission includes helping to counter drug trafficking and organized crime, and providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Originally from Cibolo, Texas, Parisano graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Parisano’s “contribution to our team is immeasurable,” Alder said. “He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to know him and serve with him.”

The Honduran newspaper El Heraldo reported that Parisano had been missing since Friday and that his body was found Saturday on the banks of the Chiquito River. Authorities were notified after someone saw a body floating in the water, the paper said.

Honduran police are leading the investigation, with assistance from the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, according to El Heraldo.