The drowning of Navy SEALs during a sea raid was a preventable investigation

A military investigation has found that two US Navy SEALs drowned while trying to board a ship carrying weapons to Yemen because of failed training.

Christopher J. Chambers and Nathan Gage Ingram died at sea off Somalia in January.

They were tasked with intercepting dangerous material aimed at Iran-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen.

Ingram jumped into the water after noticing his teammate having trouble staying afloat.

The pair quickly sank in turbulent water and were weighed down by heavy equipment, including body armor and radios, that weighed tens of pounds more.

A heavily redacted report revealed “deficiencies, gaps and inconsistencies” in the Navy’s training, policies, tactics and procedures.

The report indicates that none of the SEALs were adequately trained to maximize their chances of survival.

Other team members told investigators that few SEALs had practiced using the swimming systems in training. Although they were aware of the importance, there was little guidance on how to configure the equipment.

Video footage showed Chambers “intermittently” on the surface for 26 seconds and Ingram for 32 seconds before both disappeared.

Chambers, a Chief Special Warfare Operator, and Gage, a Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class, were members of SEAL Team 3, which conducted the nighttime raid in the Arabian Sea.

They were deployed there after the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza intensified and the Houthis escalated their attacks on merchant vessels and US Navy vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. U.S. retaliatory strikes failed to deter the attacks.

As Chambers climbed onto the ship’s deck, he slipped and fell nine feet into the water.

When Ingram saw his teammate fall, he jumped after him.

Each inflatable float delivered can lift at least 40 pounds in seawater, the report said.

“Stressed by the weight of each individual’s equipment, neither their physical capabilities nor additional emergency flotation devices, if activated, were sufficient to keep them afloat,” Rear Adm. Michael DeVore wrote in the report.

It also cited “conflicting guidance” on the use of emergency flotation devices and additional buoyancy equipment.

At one point, Chambers, the team’s strongest swimmer, managed to grab the bottom rung of a ladder attached to the ship but was swept away by a wave.

Ingram, struggling in the water, appeared to attempt to deploy his flotation device, but an unattached water wing floated nearby, indicating a malfunction.

Both men were lost at sea in less than a minute.

The report noted that properly maintained and correctly used flotation devices could have kept them afloat long enough to be rescued in the turbulent waves of two to eight feet.

It was noted that Chambers and Ingram’s swimming gear may not have been attached properly and a more thorough pre-mission “buddy check” may have identified the problem.

SEAL Team 3 initiated man-overboard procedures “within seconds.”

Two helicopters and drones provided surveillance and lighting of the search. Despite the quick response, their bodies were not recovered after a ten-day search.

Water depths of about 12,000 feet made recovery unlikely.

“The Navy respects the sanctity of human remains and recognizes the sea as a suitable and final resting place,” the report said.

Chambers, 37, entered the military in 2012 and became a SEAL in 2014. Ingram, 27, joined the Navy in 2019 and completed SEAL training in 2021.

Her death has led to changes in Naval Special Warfare Command training, including a review of policies on swimming equipment and man-overboard procedures.

Rear Admiral Keith Davids, then the command’s chief, vowed to implement the recommended changes.

Ingram was nominated for a heroism award for his efforts to save his colleague.

This article contains reporting from The Associated Press