30 Navy sailors and Marines assigned to Norfolk-based ships injured in hovercraft training mishap

Caitlyn Burchett, The Virginian-Pilot
Updated ·1 min read

Thirty sailors and Marines assigned to Norfolk-based Navy ships were injured Wednesday in a hovercraft training mishap, the Navy said.

On Friday, the Navy said two hovercraft vessels collided during training off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida. A third hovercraft, also known as air-cushioned landing craft, immediately responded and transported 38 service members onboard to the USS Wasp and USS New York for evaluation and treatment. Of those, 30 were injured.

The sailors and Marines were serving aboard the amphibious ships, both homeported at Naval Station Norfolk. One of the hovercraft vessels was from the Wasp and the other was from the New York, said Lt. Cmdr. Kristi Johnson, spokesperson for U.S. 2nd Fleet. Both hovercraft vehicles remained afloat and have since returned to their ships, she said.

Five of the injured sailors required medical evacuation to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia. Four of the five were released from the hospital after treatment, according to the Navy. One sailor remained in the hospital as of Friday.

“Our primary focus is on our sailor’s health and well-being,” Johnson said.

The remaining sailors and Marines had minor injuries and were treated aboard the Wasp and New York. The incident is under investigation.

The service members have been training off the East Coast since mid-April as part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as they prepare for deployment this year. Johnson declined to comment Friday about the mishap possibly delaying the deployment.

“But I can assure you that we are committed to ensuring our units are trained and ready to respond to any tasking worldwide,” Johnson said.

*Correction: Due to a reporting error, a previous version of this story inaccurately reported the number of injured service members. Thirty-eight were onboard the two hovercraft vessels. Of those, 30 were injured.

Caitlyn Burchett, caitlyn.burchett@virginiamedia.com