2 U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Crew Found Mysteriously Dead Shortly After Arrival In Japan

Two sailors from the USS George Washington, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, were found dead just days after the carrier arrived at its new homeport in Yokosuka, Japan.

The Navy is investigating the tragic incidents which have left the crew and the families in shock.

Petty Officer 2nd class Cuyler Burnett Condon, an electrician’s mate from Texas, was found unresponsive on November 22, in an on-base hotel room. Medical staff from the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka tried to help but declared him dead at the scene.

Only three days later, on November 25, Seaman Dimitri Isacc Morales, an electrician’s mate firearm, was found unresponsive at an off-base hotel. Japanese emergency responders confirmed his death on-site.

The cause of their sudden deaths is still unknown and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is working closely with Japanese authorities to investigate.

Navy officials released a statement, saying “Grief counceling and support services are available as we focus on providing appropriate resources following the ship’s arrival to Japan. Our thoughts and prayers are with USS George Washington’s crewmembers and families following the loss of our Sailors.”

The incident reminds of a similar tragedy in 2022 when three sailors of the USS George Washington died by suicide within a week while the ship was undergoing maintenance in Virginia.

An investigation revealed poor living conditions that affected crew morale. After six years of maintenance at Newport News Shipbuilding, the USS George Washington completed its overhaul in May 2023.

The carrier left Norfolk in April, travelling through South America before reaching Yokosuka on November 22 to replace the USS Ronald Reagan as the forward-deployed carrier for the U.S. 7th Fleet.

The crew had been excited about their new mission in Japan but the mysterious deaths of their shipmates have cast a shadow over the deployment. As a precaution, the Navy has temporarily banned alcohol for all crew members, both on and off base.

The USS George Washington (CVN-73), the sixth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, is a nuclear-powered ship.

The vessel was built by Newport News Shipbuilding under a contract given in 1982 and named after George Washington, the founding father of the United States.

Its kneel was laid in 1986, christened in 1990 by First Lady Barbara Bush, and commissioned on July 4, 1992 at Naval Station Norfolk.

References: Fox4, Stars and Stripes

Source: Maritime Shipping News