A Marine killed in a plane crash Wednesday in Imperial County, California, has been identified as the son of former Los Angeles Dodgers senior Steve Sax.
Captain John J. Sax, 33, was one of five Marines killed when his Osprey plane crashed during a training exercise about 20 miles northeast of the city of Holtville.
“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of five Purple Fox family marines,” Squadron Commander Lt. Col. John C. Miller said in a statement, ABC7 Los Angeles reported.
“Our main mission now is to take care of the family members of our fallen Marines and we respectfully ask for privacy for their families as they navigate this difficult time.”
The Marines, who were based at Pendleton Camp, had been involved in a real fire exercise in the remote unincorporated Glamis community.
John Sax was the son of the great Steve Sax, ex-Los Angeles Dodgers.stevesaxspeaks / Twitter
The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
The victim’s father played in the Major Leagues from 1981 to 1994, winning two world championships during his seven years with the Dodgers.
The Hall of Fame nominee also played with the Yankees from 1989 to 1981, and later had brief stints with the Chicago White Sox and Oakland Athletics.