USS Nimitz Navy Seaman 21 Dead After Falling From Aircraft Carrier Elevator Saturday Says Military

BREMERTON, WA. (THECOUNT) — A 21-year-old seaman died early Saturday morning in San Diego following a fall off an aircraft carrier’s elevator, reports Navy Times.

He toppled off one of the lowered elevators of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz at 9:04 p.m. Friday while the vessel was in port at Naval Air Station North Island, they said.

First responders rushed the seaman to the University of California San Diego Regional Trauma Center for treatment but the sailor was pronounced dead around 2 a.m. Saturday.

“All of that is being investigated now by NCIS. It’s ongoing right now,” said Nimitz spokesman Ensign Bill Petkovski.

Following Navy policy, the sailor’s name is being withheld until 24 hours after his next of kin received notification of the mishap.

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) will remain stationed at a maintenance facility in Bremerton, Wash., through fiscal year 2019 to avoid a back-and-forth between Bremerton and nearby Everett for the crew and their families.

Geo quick facts: Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,235 in 2018, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap – Wikipedia.