A string of failures ended with 2 Navy SEALs drowning on a dangerous mission to intercept smuggled weapons, investigation finds

• Two US Navy SEALs drowned during a January raid on a vessel smuggling weapons to the Houthis.
• A new investigation outlines a string of failures that led to that fatal outcome.
• “This incident, marked by systemic issues, was preventable,” a top commander said.

Two US Navy SEALs drowned during a raid to intercept smuggled weapons off the coast of Somalia earlier this year. An investigation found that their deaths were preventable and were ultimately caused by a string of failures in the lead-up to the dangerous mission.

The two SEALs were carrying extremely heavy gear during the nighttime raid on a small vessel that was sailing through the Arabian Sea in January. When one fell into the water, he sank. Another SEAL jumped into the water to rescue him, but they were pulled beneath the surface. The entire incident unfolded in less than a minute.

A lengthy, heavily redacted investigation made public Friday reveals extensive details from the deadly mission and what is believed to have led to the deaths of Chief Special Warfare Operator Christopher Chambers and Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nathan Gage Ingram.

The investigation blamed the tragic drownings on “a lack of a fail-safe and layered defense to provide buoyancy” in the event it became necessary “to overcome the weight of equipment, fatigue from extreme physical exertion and resultant inability to tread water, or an injury suffered during the boarding process.”

“This incident, marked by systemic issues, was preventable,” Vice Adm. George M. Wikoff, the commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, said in the final version of an opinion repeated throughout the investigation.

A dangerous mission

On January 11, SEALs operating from the expeditionary mobile base USS Lewis B. Puller carried out a “complex boarding” of a small vessel, known as a dhow, that was illegally transporting weaponry from Iran to the Houthis in Yemen, US Central Command said at the time.

As helicopters and drones loitered above, three combat boats deployed from the Puller and approached the dhow in rough waters. Some commandos used an attachable ladder to board the dhow, while others simply climbed over the vessel’s railing.

Chambers, who was carrying as much as 48 pounds of gear, attempted to grab the railing on the dhow but slipped and fell some 9 feet into the water. He tried to get back onto the boat but was swept under by a wave.

Ingram, who was carrying an estimated 80 pounds of gear, jumped in seconds later to try to save Chambers, but he quickly sank into the sea, despite some indications that he tried to shed some of his equipment and deploy his flotation device. The waters in the area are around 12,000 feet deep.

“Observing his teammate struggling, (Ingram) jumped into the water to render (Chambers) assistance,” the investigation says. “Encumbered by the weight of each individual’s gear, neither their physical capability nor emergency supplemental flotation devices, if activated, were sufficient to keep them at the surface.”

The entire incident took place in just 47 seconds. Attempts to locate Chambers and Ingram began immediately, but after a 10-day search mission, the military officially declared them dead. Their names were redacted in the investigation, but the Navy has already identified them as the two SEALs who died.

“We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honor their sacrifice and example,” Centcom commander Gen. Michael Kurilla said in January.

The boarding mission was still executed and resulted in US forces seizing a range of weaponry bound for the Houthis, including parts to make ballistic and cruise missiles, which the Iran-backed rebels have used to attack merchant shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

A string of failures

According to Naval Special Warfare Command’s training, tactics, and procedures for boarding vessels, one of the most dangerous phases of a mission like this is the process of embarking onto the suspect’s craft, the investigation says.

“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,” it says.

However, the investigation continues to say that “deficiencies, gaps and inconsistencies in doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures created missed opportunities for safeguards that could have decreased the likelihood for this incident.”

According to the investigation, the gaps included conflicting guidance on buoyancy requirements, issues with the maintenance of emergency buoyancy equipment, failure to recognize risks to buoyancy, and failure to recognize the role that emergency flotation devices and supplemental buoyant material should play in achieving buoyancy, the ability to float.

The investigation also called out insufficient training with the Tactical Flotation Support System device.

In the wake of the fatal incident, the investigation outlines several recommended changes, including a review of training and adding pre-mission requirements such as checking equipment and buoyancy.