The U.S. Navy has identified the seven sailors who died when the destroyer they were in collided with a container ship near Japan.
The sailors, whose ages range from 19 to 37 years old, were named as follows:
Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, Va.; Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego, Calif.; Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T. Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, Conn.; Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, Texas; Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, Calif.; Personnel Spec. 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Md.; Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio.
The bodies of the sailors were discovered in flooded berthing compartments on the USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) hours after the destroyer collided with the container ship Philippine ACX Crystal from the Philippines around 2:30 a.m. local time Saturday.
Three other sailors -- including the commanding officer, Cmdr. Bryce Benson -- were medically evacuated from the scene and a massive search was conducted involving U.S. and Japanese ships and aircraft to locate the service members who remained unaccounted for.
The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer suffered extensive damage above and below the waterline on the starboard, or right, side of the vessel, resulting in flooding in flooding in two berthing spaces, a machinery space and the radio room. The destroyer, aided by tug boats, limped into the Yokosuka port around 6:15 p.m.
The incident remains under investigation.
-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
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