Two Navy SEALs lost at sea during an attack on a ship carrying Iranian weapons to Houthis in Yemen were identified Monday.
Nathan Gage Ingram, 37, Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class, and Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers, 27, entered the water off the coast of Somalia.
An 11-day search and rescue mission to locate the two SEALs was halted Sunday and became a recovery operation. Their families have been informed.
The Navy said Ingram slipped and fell while climbing a ladder on the terror ship. His comrade Chambers jumped in to try to save him, Pentagon officials told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
But weighed down by their body armor, weapons and heavy equipment, the two SEALs plunged into the depths of the Arabian Sea and died, officials said.
This photo provided by the Department of Defense shows Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers
Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram
The dhow, a sailboat used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region, was ambushed by the SEALs two weeks ago. They seized Iranian weapons destined for Yemen
The mission came at a time when the seizure of weapons into Yemen has taken on new urgency.
The Yemen-based Houthis are waging a campaign of rocket and drone attacks on commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. And US retaliatory strikes have so far failed to deter their attacks.
“Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities,” said Capt. Blake Chaney, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, which oversees SEAL Team 3. “This loss is devastating to NSW, our families, the special operations community, and across the country.”
At the White House, Joe Biden said in a statement: “Jill and I mourn the tragic deaths of two of America’s finest: Navy SEALs who were lost at sea last week while conducting a mission off the coast of East Africa. ‘
He said the SEALs “represent the very best of our country and pledge their lives to protect their fellow Americans. Our thoughts go out to the family members, loved ones, friends and shipmates who mourn these two brave Americans.”
The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is conducting an investigation into the incident. That investigation is expected to examine whether the SEALs were properly equipped and trained for the mission, whether procedures were followed and any decisions regarding the timing and approval of the attack, including weather and sea conditions.
According to officials, the commandos launched from the USS Lewis B. Puller, a mobile naval base, and were supported by drones and helicopters.
They loaded onto small special operations combat vessels, piloted by Special Operations Navy crew members, to get to the boat. It was the type of boarding for which SEALs routinely train, and illegal weapons moving from Iran to the Yemen-based Houthis are an ongoing concern, especially as the rebels continue to target commercial ships in the region.
This undated photo released by the US military’s Central Command shows what it describes as Iranian-made missile components en route to the Houthi in Yemen seized from a ship in the Arabian Sea
The SEALs were trying to board a ship smuggling Iranian weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen when one fell into the sea.
The team boarding the dhow faced more than a dozen crew members. They ultimately seized a slew of Iranian-made weapons, including cruise and ballistic missile components such as propulsion and guidance equipment and nuclear warheads, as well as air defense components, the Central Command said.
The raid was the latest seizure by the US Navy and its allies of arms shipments bound for the rebels, who have launched a series of attacks that now threaten global trade in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The seized missile parts included types likely used in those attacks.
Chambers and Ingram, who were assigned to a SEAL unit on the West Coast, “were exceptional warriors, beloved teammates and dear friends to many within the Naval Special Warfare community,” Chaney said.
Chambers, 37, of Maryland, enlisted in the Navy in 2012 and graduated from SEAL training in 2014.
His awards include the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat ‘C’ and three Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals. Ingram, 27, from Texas, enlisted in 2019 and graduated from SEAL training in 2021.