Massachusetts governor praises Navy SEAL who died trying to save fellow SEAL during a mission
The governor of Massachusetts described 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 trying to rescue a teammate
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The governor of Massachusetts described 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 trying to rescue a teammate.
During the Jan. 11 raid, Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers jumped into the sea to save a second SEAL who had slipped and fallen under the waves as he tried to climb aboard the unflagged ship. The vessel was carrying illicit Iranian-made weapons to Yemen, according to U.S. officials familiar with the incident. Both of the SEALs involved in the mission went missing.
The 11-day search and rescue mission to locate the two SEALs was called off on Sunday and became a recovery effort. On Monday, the Navy released their names, after their families were notified. The second SEAL was identified as Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram.
Chambers, 37, enlisted in the Navy in 2012, and graduated from SEAL training in 2014.
“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,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement Tuesday. “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."
"We are more determined than ever to honor that sacrifice in our actions as well as our 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 dhow of the ship, and seized an array of Iranian-made weaponry while facing off with 12 crew members, Central Command said.