Navy SEALs’ drownings in Iranian op were preventable, investigation finds

An investigation into the death of two Navy SEALS who drowned during a mission to seize Iranian missile parts bound for the Houthi rebels in Yemen found that the deaths could have been prevented.

The report from an outside investigator found the deaths of Chief Special Warfare Operator Christopher J. Chambers and Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage of SEAL Team Three were attributable to “a lack of a failsafe and layered defense to provide buoyancy” in case of a mishap.

In the report, Rear Adm. Michael DeVore, the senior military official for Guam, faults a failure to properly offer guidance on buoyancy and to test and train for it, and he calls for a revamp of emergency flotation equipment and procedures.

“There is no doubt the act of boarding a suspected smuggling vessel is dangerous and can elevate in risk depending on the factors of the mission,” DeVore wrote. “However, deficiencies, gaps and inconsistencies in doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures created missed opportunities for safeguards that could have decreased the likelihood for this incident.”

Gen. Michael Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said in a memo to Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) that he concurred with the findings and the incident “marked by systematic issues was preventable.”

“A layered defense of personal responsibility, properly maintained and functional equipment, and process and procedures safeguard against such hazard,” he wrote.

Both NAVCENT, the central naval force in the Middle East region, and Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW) concurred with the findings.

NSW said it was drafting some of the report’s recommendations, including a force-wide policy for water safety guidelines related to maritime operations and man overboard procedures, along with buoyancy and equipment checks.

The SEALS went missing around Jan. 11, when the U.S. targeted an Iranian ship carrying illicit Iranian missile parts and other weapons for the Houthis in Yemen, who have been firing on merchant ships for almost a year in an operation they claim is tied to the war in Gaza.

The names in the report are redacted, but the Associated Press reported that Chambers slipped and fell during the nighttime boarding mission and Ingram jumped in after him. They had been climbing to the Iranian vessel, a dhow, from a U.S. combat ship and rough seas had rolled the Iranian dhow.

The report said both sailors were burdened by heavy equipment and were lost to the sea within 47 seconds.

DeVore ruled out several factors, including time, weather and an apparent anonymous report drinking on board the U.S. operations boat.

A search was finally concluded around Jan. 22, with the rescue crews saying they could not find the missing sailors.

Kurilla, in his memo, said that “pre-mission buddy checks or buoyancy tests help provide forceful backup in the instance when individual responsibility misses the mark.”

“In this mishap, that forceful backup may have fallen short of NSW expectations,” he wrote.