The governor of Massachusetts characterized a Navy SEAL lost in the Arabian Sea during a mission to confiscate Iranian-made weapons from an unflagged ship as a Westfield, Massachusetts, native who heroically died while attempting to rescue a teammate.
In the raid on January 11, Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers leaped into the sea to rescue a second SEAL who had slipped and fallen under the waves while attempting to climb aboard the unflagged ship.
According to U.S. officials familiar with the incident, the vessel was transporting illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen. Both of the SEALs involved in the mission went missing.
The 11-day search and rescue mission to locate the two SEALs was later called off, transitioning into a recovery effort. The Navy released their names only after notifying their families.
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The second SEAL was identified as Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram. Chambers, 37, joined the Navy in 2012 and completed SEAL training in 2014.
Governor Maura Healey expressed her condolences, stating, “My deepest sympathies go out to the family, friends, and shipmates of Special Operator Chris Chambers, who lost his life while selflessly trying to save his teammate off the coast of East Africa. In his heroic life and tragic passing, we recognize the ultimate example of the sacrifice that every servicemember and veteran has offered on behalf of our country.”
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“We are more determined than ever to honor that sacrifice in our actions and words. I’m keeping the Westfield community and all who knew Chris in my thoughts as Massachusetts mourns another tragic loss,” she added.
The two men were part of a team that ultimately boarded the ship, seizing an array of Iranian-made weapons while facing off with 12 crew members, as reported by Central Command.
One user commented, “Now we are finding out that the two lost were part of a team. That makes it even worse for not being able to recover them. This sounds more and more like a real botched job. Fair winds and following seas for both of them.”
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Another added, “Apple Air-tag: I completely fail to understand–with today’s technology how Navy Seals could be lost at sea–in warm water–alive or dead.”
While another thinks that “… U.S. Military Command needs to be just as proactive as they demand of our Special Forces Operators to be proactive! Unfortunately, this was a failure by U.S. Command in the lack of use of current technology that is available for use from private military industry contractors specifically for use in unfavorable conditions like this… Nighttime Naval Amphibious Warfare. Such a shame…”
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