A U.S. Navy sailor who military officials say was “lost overboard” in the Red Sea last week has been identified.
Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class Oriola Michael Aregbesola, 34, went overboard from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason while conducting operations in the Red Sea, the U.S. Navy said on Saturday.
Aregbesola died in a “non-combat related incident,” the U.S. Department of Defense said, without providing further details. Military officials said the incident remains under investigation.
Aregbesola, of Miramar, Florida, joined the Navy in July 2020. He was assigned to the “Swamp Foxes” helicopter maritime strike squadron aboard USS Mason, which has been operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group since November.
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“Petty Officer Aregbesola fully embodied the selfless character and thoughtful warrior spirit of the United States Navy Sailor,” said Cmdr. Eric Kohut, HSM-74 commanding officer. “His outstanding performance prior to and during deployment went well beyond aircraft maintenance; he truly saw and valued every member of the ship/air team.”
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“He will continue on in the heart of every Swamp Fox and our brothers and sisters in the IKE Carrier Strike Group,” Kohut continued. “Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group was initially deployed to the region to deter hostilities that sparked after the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war.
The strike group has spent the last five months in the Red Sea defending against ballistic missiles and attack drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthis, who have been targeting commercial shipping vessels in support of Hamas.
