Newport News, VA – The deaths of three sailors stationed on the USS George Washington aircraft carrier are under investigation after all were found dead within a week, according to the US Navy.
According to the Navy, one sailor was found unresponsive onboard the carrier on Friday, April 19; Two other sailors were found at off base locations on April 9 and 10.
Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesman Michael Maus shared with the Navy Times that the sailor found Friday was "treated by the medical team on board before being transported to Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News."
Maus shared that it was there that the service member passed away.
"The incident is under investigation, and the command continues to cooperate with [the Naval Criminal Investigative Service]," Maus told the Navy Times.
Cmdr. Reann Mommsen, a navy spokesperson, shared with CNN that "there is no initial indication to suggest there is a correlation between these tragic events" despite the ongoing investigation.
The Navy has not released the cause of death for the three sailors. However, a Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Team has been brought aboard the USS George Washington.
Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Teams look to provide short-term mental health support following a traumatic event.
The sailor found deceased on April 9 was Retail Services Specialist 3rd Class Mikail Sharp and the sailor found on April 10 was Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Natasha Huffman.
The third sailor, found Friday, has not yet been identified by the Navy.
"Our thoughts and condolences are with the family, friends, and shipmates of our Sailors," Mommsen said to CNN.
The USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, has been in dry-dock in Newport News, Virginia, since 2017, undergoing its mid-life refueling and overhaul work.
Such overhauls are conducted halfway through a carrier’s 50-year service life to refuel the nuclear power reactor and conduct significant repairs and upgrades over four years of work, according to the Navy Times.
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