WASHINGTON — Two US Navy SEALs drowned tried to climb aboard a ship transporting illegal Iranian-made weapons to Yemen due to glaring training failures and a lack of understanding about what to do after they enter deep, turbulent waters, a military investigation into the January deaths has found.
The review concluded that the drownings of Chief Special Warfare Operator Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage Ingram could have been prevented. But both sank quickly on the high seas off the coast of Somalia, weighed down by the heavy equipment they were carrying and without knowing or ignoring the concerns that their flotation devices might not be able to compensate for the extra weight. Both were lost at sea.
The highly critical and heavily redacted report — written by a Navy officer outside the Naval Special Warfare Command, which oversees the SEALs — concluded that there were “deficiencies, gaps and inconsistencies” in training, policies, tactics and procedures, as well as “conflicting guidelines” on when and how to use emergency flotation devices and extra flotation equipment that could have kept them alive.
The Associated Press obtained the report by request before it was made public.
The purpose of the mission was to intercept weapons en route to the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemenwho have been launching missile and drone attacks on commercial and U.S. Navy vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since World War II. Israel-Hamas war in Gaza started a year ago. US retaliatory strikes have not deterred their attacks so far.
Chambers and Ingram, members of SEAL Team 3, died during a night mission to on board an unflagged ship in the Arabian Sea. Their names were included in the report, but officials confirmed that Chambers slipped and fell as he climbed onto the ship’s deck and Ingram jumped in to save him.
“Hindered by the weight of each individual’s equipment, neither their physical capabilities nor additional emergency flotation devices, if activated, were sufficient to keep them on the surface,” Adm. Michael DeVore wrote in the report.
According to the report, Chambers was on the surface “intermittently” for 26 seconds after his fall and Ingram was on the surface for about 32 seconds.
“The entire tragic event unfolded in just 47 seconds and two NSW warriors were lost in the sea,” DeVore wrote, referring to the Naval Special Warfare Command.
Floatation equipment that was properly maintained, operated properly and used properly could have kept them afloat until they were rescued, the report said. Other team members told researchers that while they knew the importance of their tactical flotation system — which consists of two inflatable floats that attach to a belt and foam inserts that can be added — few had ever operated one during training and that there are few instructions on how to do that. wear it.
According to the report, the team was operating in seas of 6 to 8 feet, and while the ship they boarded rolled in the waves, conditions were well within their capabilities.
As time went on, however, the rolling increased and Chambers attempted to board by jumping from the engine compartment of his fighter craft to the top rail of the ship where they boarded, the report said. Some commandos used an attachable ladder, but because of the waves, others jumped to the top rail, which they said was within reach but slippery.
Chambers’ hands slipped off the railing and he fell 10 feet into the water. Based on the video of the mission, he was able to grab the bottom rung of the ladder, but when he turned around and tried to return to the fighter craft, he was swept away by a wave.
Eleven seconds after he fell, Ingram jumped in. Video footage shows they were intermittently above water for at least ten seconds and were sometimes able to grab a ladder extension that was submerged. But both were overthrown by the waves. The last sighting of Chambers was about 26 seconds after he fell.
At one point, Ingram tried to climb back up the ladder but was caught by a wave. He appeared to attempt to deploy his flotation device, but within two seconds a loose water wing was seen about a hundred feet away from him. He also appeared to try to remove some of his equipment, but he slipped underwater and was not seen again. The sea depth was about 12,000 feet.
Both wore body armor, and Ingram also carried radio equipment that added as much as 40 pounds extra. Each of the inflatable floats can lift at least 40 pounds of seawater, the report said.
Members of the SEAL team were shocked and in disbelief that Chambers, their strongest swimmer, could not stay on the surface. The report concluded that conflicting and meager buoyancy guidelines have left it up to individuals to configure their buoyancy needs, potentially leading to errors.
While SEALs routinely conduct “buddy checks” before missions to assess each other’s equipment, the company said Ingram’s flotation equipment may have been improperly attached and that a more thorough buddy exam could have discovered this.
SEAL team members also told researchers that adding the foam inserts makes the flotation device bulkier and makes it more difficult to climb or crawl.
According to the report, SEAL Team 3 members initiated rapid and appropriate man-overboard procedures “within seconds,” and there were two helicopters and two drones overhead providing surveillance, lighting and video for the mission.
After 10 days, the search was called off due to the water depth and the low chance of finding the two.
“The Navy respects the sanctity of human remains and recognizes the sea as a suitable and final resting place,” the report said.
Chambers, 37, of Maryland, enlisted in the Navy in 2012 and graduated from SEAL training in 2014. Ingram, 27, from Texas, enlisted in 2019 and graduated from SEAL training in 2021.
In response to the investigation, the Naval Special Warfare Command said changes are already taking place in training and guidance. It said the command is considering developing a force-wide policy to address water safety during maritime operations and establishing standard operating procedures for buoyancy requirements.
Other changes would refine man-overboard procedures, pre-mission checks and maintenance of flotation devices. It also said it is investigating “fail safe” flotation devices and plans to review safety processes.
Vice Admiral Keith Davids, who headed the command at the time of the mission, said it would learn from the tragic deaths and “resolutely pursue” the recommended changes. Davids left the job in August after a routine change of command and is in the process of doing so. of retiring.
The report recommends that Ingram receive an award for heroism for giving his life while trying to save his teammate. That advice is currently being revised. Both were posthumously promoted one rank.
According to a separate Defense Intelligence Agency report, the Jan. 11 mission seized Iranian “propulsion systems, guidance systems and warheads” for intermediate-range ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles destined for the Houthis.