Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information about the number of injured personnel and a comment by U.S. 2nd Fleet. Find an updated story here.
Dozens of sailors and Marines were injured Wednesday evening after an at-sea mishap during a training event off the coast of Florida, the Navy said Thursday.
Thirty-five Marines and sailors suffered injuries, with five sailors medically evacuated to Savannah Memorial University Medical Center for further care, according to the Navy.
The service initially reported 30 sailors and Marines were injured but later updated that number to 35. “As the incident unfolded and aid was rendered, additional personnel received medical care, increasing the total number injured to 35 personnel,” the Navy said in a Friday release.
“Four of the five Sailors have been released from the hospital after treatment,” the Navy said Thursday afternoon. “One Sailor remains under medical care and is being assessed for further treatment.”
The incident involved two of the Navy’s Landing Craft Air Cushion vehicles, or LCACs, 91-foot-long, air-cushioned vessels used to move troops and materiel from ship to shore.
The Navy’s statement did not say what specific training the LCACs were undertaking before the mishap, nor did it address the nature of the injuries.
Asked by Navy Times about the nature of the injuries and what the LCACs were doing before the mishap, U.S. 2nd Fleet officials emailed a statement that repeated the original statement the Navy released earlier on Thursday.
Troops that sustained minor injuries were treated aboard the amphibious assault ship Wasp and the amphibious transport dock New York, two of the three ships that comprise the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group.
The unit spent much of April in pre-deployment training, according to the Navy.
Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and sailors assigned to the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group were involved.
One of the LCACs was with the amphibious assault ship Wasp, while the other belonged to the amphibious transport dock New York.
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
