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milestogo

(16,829 posts)
Wed Jul 6, 2016, 12:36 PM Jul 2016

Drowning death of Navy SEAL trainee ruled a homicide by medical examiner

Source: Washington Post

The drowning death of a U.S. sailor in Navy SEAL training has been ruled a homicide, with authorities determining that a SEAL instructor dunked the sailor in a swimming pool at least twice despite prohibitions against doing so.

Seaman James Derek Lovelace, 21, of Crestview, Fla., died May 6 during the famously difficult Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) course at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California. His death was at least the third linked to SEAL training in the last year; two other students have committed suicide since November after washing out of the program.

Video surveillance obtained by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) shows that when Lovelace was struggling during a swimming exercise, one instructor on a platform pointed him out to a second one in the water. The second instructor approached Lovelace, dunked him and then followed him around the pool for five minutes, according to a report obtained Wednesday from the San Diego County medical examiner’s office.

“He continually splashes the decedent, dunks him at least one additional time, and appears to be yelling at him,” the report said. “The decedent is also splashed by other individuals during the event. At one point in the video, another individual in the water is seen pulling him up and away from the instructor.” The report adds that Lovelace’s head goes in and out of the water multiple times, and an instructor can be seen pulling him above the surface repeatedly. Eventually an instructor pulled Lovelace out of the water and the exercise was halted.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/07/06/death-of-navy-seal-trainee-in-pool-ruled-a-homicide-by-medical-examiner/

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Drowning death of Navy SEAL trainee ruled a homicide by medical examiner (Original Post) milestogo Jul 2016 OP
Sad GummyBearz Jul 2016 #1
Only 21 years old. PersonNumber503602 Jul 2016 #2
That is a bootcamp photo LoverOfLiberty Jul 2016 #9
This was a kid who could really swim, too. leftyladyfrommo Jul 2016 #3
No, this was a kid with medical issues that should have kept him out of such extreme training as tblue37 Jul 2016 #4
How could he get that far without the military knowing his medical history? milestogo Jul 2016 #5
Who knows. Maybe nowadays they accept such problems as long as the medical condition is tblue37 Jul 2016 #6
Why wasn't the cardiomegaly discovered during a pretraining physical that was surely required? Laffy Kat Jul 2016 #7
Tragic. proverbialwisdom Jul 2016 #8
State of the Investigation Two Months Ago mahatmakanejeeves Jul 2016 #10
I've heard reports of waterboarding our own lovuian Jul 2016 #11
 

GummyBearz

(2,931 posts)
1. Sad
Wed Jul 6, 2016, 12:46 PM
Jul 2016

This young sailor was willing to give his life to his country. Instead some moron with a small penis complex took his life for not holding his breath long enough. I hope charges are filed and justice is served

PersonNumber503602

(1,134 posts)
2. Only 21 years old.
Wed Jul 6, 2016, 03:25 PM
Jul 2016

That's younger than my little brother. Very sad.


When I first saw pictures of him, I thought he looked like he was in his late 20's or early 30's though.

leftyladyfrommo

(18,816 posts)
3. This was a kid who could really swim, too.
Wed Jul 6, 2016, 05:40 PM
Jul 2016

If it's the one I'm thinking about. He was a competition swimmer.

tblue37

(64,982 posts)
4. No, this was a kid with medical issues that should have kept him out of such extreme training as
Wed Jul 6, 2016, 06:17 PM
Jul 2016

is required for SEALs. I have to suspect he omitted some information when applying.

The decedent was reported to be single with no children. He is survived by his father, James Lovelace, who resides in Florida. He was reportedly in Phase One of Naval Special Warfare Development group and was reported to not be a strong swimmer. According to medical records, the decedent had previously been prescribed Singulair for the treatment of asthma, prevention of exercise-induced bronchoconstriction, and relief of allergic rhinitis. He had a prior electrocardiogram that showed sinus bradyarrhythmia with sinus arrhythmia. There were no reports of drug or alcohol abuse. There were no concerns for suicidal behavior <emphasis added>.

milestogo

(16,829 posts)
5. How could he get that far without the military knowing his medical history?
Wed Jul 6, 2016, 06:25 PM
Jul 2016

Surely they are more thorough than to simply accept what is put on the application.

tblue37

(64,982 posts)
6. Who knows. Maybe nowadays they accept such problems as long as the medical condition is
Wed Jul 6, 2016, 06:33 PM
Jul 2016

supposedly controlled by ongoing treatment/medication. If so, they are nuts, because even those with "controlled" asthma can die of a sudden acute attack, despite using their meds as directed, and even a supposedly nonlethal arrhythmia is not guaranteed to be nonlethal. I have an arrhythmia, and as my doctor explained, it probably will not ever do more than make me feel a little weird and lightheaded sometimes. But then he also added, "I can't guarantee it won't kill you, but the chances of dying from it are very, very small."

Maybe he had a friendly doctor falsify his records. Or maybe the military is surreptitiously handwaving medical issues when someone is really eager to sign up for difficult duty.

Whatever the case, a medical history like that should have been a ginormous red flag.

Laffy Kat

(16,356 posts)
7. Why wasn't the cardiomegaly discovered during a pretraining physical that was surely required?
Wed Jul 6, 2016, 06:53 PM
Jul 2016

It's a simple chest xray.

lovuian

(19,362 posts)
11. I've heard reports of waterboarding our own
Thu Jul 7, 2016, 05:36 PM
Jul 2016

troops to prepare them for if they are captured....this should be illegal
I know someone who was in US Special Forces and he told me he was waterboarded by his commander.....

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