The commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command says a fatal training accident involving a Navy SEAL assigned to Pearl Harbor is “a heart-wrenching loss.”
Adm. Edward Winters III was speaking of Thursday’s death of Eric Shellenberger following a training dive in waters off Bremerton, Wash.
Shellenberger was assigned to Delivery Vehicle Team One at Pearl Harbor.
Navy officials say Shellenberger encountered difficulties and signaled for an emergency ascent. Upon reaching the surface, he was non-responsive. He was transported to Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport where he died.
The 36-year-old Shellenberger was from Pennsburg, Pa. He enlisted in the Navy in 1999, after serving more than eight years in the Marine Corps.
The accident is under investigation.
