Drownings of 2 Navy SEALs were preventable, military probe finds
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A military investigation into the deaths of two U.S. Navy SEALS who tried to climb aboard a ship carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen has stated they drowned because of glaring training failures and a lack of understanding about what to do after falling into deep, turbulent waters.
A Navy investigation revealed that the deaths of Chief Special Warfare Operator Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage Ingram were preventable. Both men tragically drowned in rough seas off the coast of Somalia during a mission, burdened by heavy gear that overwhelmed their flotation devices. Unaware that their flotation systems couldn’t support the additional weight, they sank rapidly.
The heavily redacted report, compiled by an officer outside Naval Special Warfare Command, criticized significant shortcomings in training, policies, and procedures. It highlighted “deficiencies, gaps, and inconsistencies” in instructions on the use of flotation devices and buoyancy materials. There was also confusion regarding when and how to deploy emergency flotation gear, which could have saved their lives.
The Associated Press obtained the report before its public release. Chambers and Ingram, both from SEAL Team 3, were involved in a nighttime mission to intercept weapons headed to the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, who have been launching missile and drone attacks against commercial and U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began a year ago.
Their names were redacted in the report, but officials have confirmed Chambers slipped and fell as he was climbing onto the ship’s deck, and Ingram jumped in to try to save him.
Video footage showed Chambers intermittently surfacing for 26 seconds and Ingram for 32 seconds before they were overwhelmed by waves. Though their flotation devices could have kept them afloat, team members admitted to minimal training on how to use the equipment, contributing to their inability to stay above water.
The report said SEAL Team 3 members began prompt and appropriate man-overboard procedures “within seconds,” and there were two helicopters and two drones overhead providing surveillance, light, and video for the mission. The search was halted after ten days due to the water depth of about 12,000 feet.
Chambers, 37, had served in the Navy since 2012 and graduated from SEAL training in 2014, while Ingram, 27, enlisted in 2019 and completed SEAL training in 2021.