One of the two Navy SEALs presumed dead after being lost at sea during a nighttime raid near Somalia was identified as a North Texan.
On the night of Jan.11, Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram, 27, was on the waters. He was in the process of seizing a vessel that was illegally transporting advanced lethal aid from Iran. The aid was meant to resupply the Houthi forces in Yemen, as per a statement by the Navy.
Gage Ingram was from Trophy Club, Texas, just outside Roanoke in Denton County.
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Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers, 37, was the other SEAL whose name was released by the Navy on Monday.
Based on reports from U.S. defense officials, the SEALs were trying to board a dhow, a small boat, on that night. However, due to rough sea conditions, one of the sailors fell into the water. Following standard protocol, the military said a second sailor jumped in to rescue the first one. Unfortunately, both of them disappeared into the darkness.
The Navy said Gage Ingram and Chambers finished boot camp at the Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, just outside Chicago, before graduating from SEAL qualification training in Coronado, California.
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"It is more challenging; it is a military operation, and unfortunately, had this tragic outcome," Mark Balmert told NBC 5.
Balmert is a former Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy who managed SEAL operations like the one Ingram and Chambers were sent on when they disappeared. Balmert said trying to secure a moving ship for a search while in open water presents serious risks.
"Moving through the seas, the seas are rough. The operation is happening at night," Balmert said. "So it just has many inherent risks associated with it that make it more challenging."
Some naval experts told NBC 5 they wanted to see the results of an investigation into the operation; regardless, Navy SEALs go into these scenarios knowing their lives are on the line.
"It's just a dangerous operation, and unfortunately things went wrong," Balmert said.
NBC 5 reached out to Gage Ingram's family. Family members responded that they were not ready to speak about him and this loss yet, saying they're still working to get more information about how this happened.
