Two missing Navy SEALs declared dead after a 10-day search at sea, were identified Monday as members of a San Diego-based unit.
Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Operator 1st Class Christopher Chambers and Naval Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram were boarding an un-flagged vessel off the coast of Somalia on Jan. 11 when one fell into the ocean and the other jumped in after him, according to U.S. officials.
Chambers, 37, was from Maryland. Ingram, 27, was from Texas, according to a statement from Naval Special Warfare Command.
Capt. Blake Chaney, the commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 1 in Coronado, called the loss of the SEALs "devastating" to the special operations community.
"Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities," Chaney said Monday in a statement. "This loss is devastating for NSW, our families, the special operations community, and across the nation."
Chambers and Ingram were taking part in a night operation at sea Jan. 11 when they went into the water, according to U.S. Central Command. U.S. forces found Iranian ballistic and guided-missile parts bound for Yemen, where Houthi rebels have been launching missile and drone attacks on ships.
Chambers joined the Navy in 2012 and has been attached to Coronado SEAL units his whole career, according to his assignment history.
Ingram joined in 2019 and has been stationed in Coronado since 2020.
U.S. Central Command announced in a statement Sunday the pair were declared dead.
"We mourn the loss of our two Naval Special Warfare warriors, and we will forever honor their sacrifice and example," said Army Gen. Michael Kurilla, the commander of U.S. Central Command. "Our prayers are with the SEALs’ families, friends, the U.S. Navy and the entire Special Operations community during this time.”
Air and sea units from the U.S., Japan and Spain searched more than 21,000 square miles of ocean during the 10-day search. Other oceanographic agencies — including UC San Diego's Scripps Institute of Oceanography — also assisted, the statement said.
