Recovery efforts in place for 2 US Navy Seals who went missing after mission to confiscate Iranian missile parts
WASHINGTON (WISH) — The search for two missing members of the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team 3 is now a recovery effort after U.S. defense officials said a widespread search yielded no results after the two men, identified Monday, fell in the Arabian Sea during a mission more than one week ago.
The mission took place off the coast of Somalia, according to the Associated Press, “under the darkness of night.” SEALs had been on a mission to board an unflagged ship that was carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen.
Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have carried out attacks on commercial vessels, which included Navy ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7.
The Associated Press reported that Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram had begun climbing a ladder onto the boat, he slipped and fell between the vessel being boarded, carrying the weapons, and the SEALs’ “combatant craft.”
As Ingram began to sink underwater, Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers immediately jumped into the gap created by waves to try to save him, according to the Associated Press.
The outlet cited U.S. officials who said the act was instinctive due to years of training. The two had been weighed down by their body armor, weapons, and heavy equipment, causing the two men to continue to sink.
The commandos launched from the USS Lewis B. Puller, a mobile sea base, and they were backed up by drones and helicopters, the Associated Press reported. They approached the vessel carrying weapons on a “small special operations combat craft,” which the AP said was driven by a special naval crew.
Crews searched for 11 days, trying desperately to find the two SEALs until it was called off on Sunday, becoming a recovery effort at that point.
The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is investigating the incident, which was to include “any decisions regarding the timing and approval of the raid, including the weather and the state of the seas.”
Ultimately, other members of the team boarded the vessel, the dhow, and seized Iranian-made weaponry, which the Associated Press reported included “cruise and ballistic missile components.”
Chambers and Ingram were assigned to a West Coast-based SEAL unit, the outlet reported.
Chambers, 37, of Maryland, enlisted in the Navy in 2012 and graduated from SEAL training in 2014, the AP reported. His awards included the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat “C” and three Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medals.
The Associated Press reported that Ingram, 27, of Texas, enlisted in 2019 and graduated from SEAL training in 2021.