It has emerged that one of the US marines killed in a helicopter crash in Florida this week was a father of one from Co Kildare.

Liam Flynn, who was in his 30s and from Betaghstown in Clane, died along with seven other US marines and four soldiers when the chopper came down in the sea in foggy conditions during a training exercise.

He had been born and raised in Co Kildare but lived in North Carolina with his wife and baby daughter.

A memorial service will be held in his native Clane on Sunday.

The helicopter went down during a routine training mission on a beach between Pensacola and Destin.

The beach is owned by the military and used for test missions.

Officials said the helicopter had taken off from a nearby airport in Destin and joined other aircraft in the exercise.