Navy officials aboard the USS Nimitz said on Wednesday, Sept. 9, they have concluded a search for a sailor presumed to have gone overboard.
The sailor, identified as Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Ian McKnight, 29, was first reported missing from the ship on Sunday, Sept. 6, officials with the U.S. 5th Fleet said.
The ship, part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group and Carrier Air Wing 17, left San Diego on June 8. The group was patrolling the North Arabian Sea at the time of McKnight’s disappearance.
“Extensive attempts” were made over three days to locate McKnight using naval ships and aircraft from the Navy and Air Force, a Navy release said. McKnight is still listed as “duty status whereabouts unknown” and his next of kin has been notified, officials said. The incident is under investigation.
“We are deeply saddened as we call off the search for IT2 Ian McKnight,” Nimitz commander Capt. Max Clark said in a statement. “We hold his family and friends in our hearts during this difficult time.”
McKnight, of North Carolina, enlisted in the Navy in 2018 and had served aboard the carrier since 2019.
Source: Orange County Register
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