ICYMI: 2 years ago, in January of 2024, 2 Navy SEALS were lost to the sea, one who dove into roiling waves after the first who had slipped and fell into a gap the waves had created between the vessel and the SEALs’ combatant craft while attempting to board a stateless ship off of Somalia suspected of smuggling arms from Iran to Yemen. Six months later, in Oct of 2024, CENTCOM issued its investigation report with this Executive Summary:
"CENTCOM Investigation into 2 Navy SEALs Lost in Boarding Action off Somalia
"U.S. Naval Institute Staff
"October 11, 2024 10:39 AM - Updated: October 11, 2024 9:10 PM
"The following is the Sept. 6, 2024, U.S. Central Command investigation into the Jan. 11, 2024, deaths of Chief Special Warfare Operator Christopher Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage Ingram during a boarding operation off the coast of Somalia.
"From the report
"EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
"1. Summary of Findings Overview
"a. On the evening of 11 January 2014 a deployed team of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) operators from Sea Air Land (SEAL) Team THREE TWO Troop Charlie Platoon (C-Platoon) and Special Boat Team TWENTY (SBT-20), conducted a nighttime boarding of a stateless dhow with suspected ties to the smuggling of Advanced Conventional Weapons (ACW) from Iran into Yemen.
"During the early moments of the boarding, the dhow’s mariners left their wheelhouse in order to join their fellow crewmembers who were being gathered in one location for the SEAL Team’s security and safety. This act changed the ship handling dynamics as the vessel stopped transiting forward. As a result, the sea state intensified the roll of the dhow as the boarding progressed, such that the combatant craft-assault (CCA) vessel carrying the assault team reset twice during the action to better reposition alongside the dhow.
"b. While climbing from the CCA up to the dhow’s deck [redacted] USN, the Leading Petty Officer (LPO) of the platoon fell from the side of the dhow into the water. Observing his teammate struggling [redacted] USN, jumped into the water to render [redacted] assistance. Encumbered by the weight of each individual’s gear, neither their physical capability the weight of each individual’s gear, neither their physical capability nor emergency supplemental flotation devices, if activated, were sufficient to keep them at the surface. [redacted] was only intermittently at the surface in the subsequent twenty-six (26) seconds after his fall [redacted] was only intermittently on the surface in the thirty-two (32) seconds following his entry to attempt a rescue of [redacted]. The entire tragic event elapsed in just forty-seven (47) seconds, and two NSW warriors were lost to the sea.
"c. The root cause of these drownings was a lack of a failsafe and layered defense to provide buoyancy (expounded in this report), whether to overcome the weight of equipment, fatigue from extreme physical exertion and resultant inability to tread water, or an injury suffered during the boarding process."
The entire 108 page report can be read here:
Subj: COMMAND INVESTIGATION INTO THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES
SURROUNDING THE LOSS AT SEA OF TWO TASK FORCE THREE PERSONNEL ON OR ABOUT 11 JANUARY 2024
Table of Contents begins at page 9.
https://news.usni.org/2024/10/11/centcom-investigation-into-2-navy-seals-lost-in-boarding-action-off-somalia
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see also:
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/01/22/how-a-coronado-based-navy-seal-fell-into-rough-waters-and-another-died-trying-to-save-him