Naval special warfare sailor dies after helicopter landing mishap A Navy SEAL on an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter over Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist First Class Scott Fenaroli)
A U.S. Navy sailor assigned to a Naval Special Warfare unit has died this week after sustaining injuries when the helicopter he was on experienced a landing mishap.
In a Tuesday press release, the Navy said the sailor was on board a helicopter during a joint training event at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va., on Thursday, May 5, when the aircraft experienced an unspecified landing incident. The Navy said the sailor was taken to a local hospital where he died four days later on Monday, May 9, at around 12:35 p.m. EST.
WKTR reported a helicopter at Fort Story experienced a hard landing on May 5, which sent at least three people to the hospital.
The exact cause of the sailor’s death was not immediately clear. The navy said the “tragic loss of a teammate remains under investigation.”
The Navy was withholding the sailor’s name and other identifying details, pending next of kin notifications. The service said only that the sailor was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit.
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek is home to Naval Special Warfare Group 2, which includes SEAL Teams 2, 4, 8, and 10. The base also hosts Special Warfare Combatant Craft (SWCC) crews and other special warfare support units.
It was unclear if the sailor killed in this incident was a Navy SEAL or in another special warfare unit.
The U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command did not respond to an American Military News request for comment at the time of this article’s publication.
Another Naval Special Warfare servicemember was killed during a training event at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in December. 43-year-old SEAL Team 8 Cmdr. Brian Bourgeois was fatally injured during a fast-rope training evolution on Dec. 3 and died three days later at Norfolk Sentara General Hospital. Fast-roping is a way in which troops rapidly deploy from a helicopter.
24-year-old Navy SEAL candidate Seaman Kyle Mullen died during “Hell Week” of the Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL (BUD/S) selection course in February. The Navy said Mullen was not active at the time of his death and the cause of his death was being investigated.
Another Navy special operations sailor died during a training incident last month at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay. The sailor, identified as Lt. j.g. Aaron Fowler, was assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit One and was participating in the third phase of the Marine Corps Reconnaissance Leaders Course at the time of his death. The course’s third phase takes place in Hawaii and goes through swimming progressions and amphibious operations.
