A search and rescue effort for a sailor presumed overboard off the USS Theodore Roosevelt has been called off, and the sailor is presumed dead, Navy officials from the Third Fleet announced late Saturday, Dec. 12.
Two days ago, the ship’s crew initiated the search after a lookout spotted what appeared to be a person in the water at 7:30 a.m. A sailor was unaccounted for during a command-wide muster, officials said.
The search off the Southern California coast — which included the Roosevelt and four other Navy ships, Navy aircraft and the U.S. Coast Guard — covered more than 607 square nautical miles for more than 55 hours. The sailor’s family was notified before the search efforts ended.
“The loss of our sailor is felt deeply by all on board,” Capt. Eric Anduze, commanding officer of Theodore Roosevelt, said in a statement on Saturday. “The entire Theodore Roosevelt team sends our deepest condolences to the family of our missing shipmate.”
The incident remains under investigation.
The carrier left San Diego on Monday for a second 2020 deployment.
Source: Orange County Register
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