Navy IDs Ensign Killed During Small Boat Training in Red Sea

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Ens. Sarah Mitchell, 23, of Feasterville, Penn.  Ens. Mitchell, died from injuries sustained aboard USS Jason Dunham (DD 109), July 8, 2018. (U.S. Navy Photo)
Ens. Sarah Mitchell, 23, of Feasterville, Penn. Ens. Mitchell, died from injuries sustained aboard USS Jason Dunham (DD 109), July 8, 2018. (U.S. Navy Photo)

The sailor who died while conducting small-boat training operations in the Red Sea on Sunday was 23-year-old Ensign Sarah Mitchell, the Navy announced Monday.

Earlier in the day, Navy officials had issued a press release revealing that a sailor attached to the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Jason Dunham had died during small boat operations. The Dunham has been deployed since May and is currently operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet.

Mitchell was originally from Feasterville, Pennsylvania, officials said. She was taken to a hospital in Aqaba, Jordan, following the undisclosed boating incident, and was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. local time, according to a release.

No other sailors were injured in the incident, according to officials. Mitchell's death remains under investigation.

The sailor's tragic loss is the first operational death of a sailor deployed aboard ship since the destroyer John S. McCain collided with a merchant ship last August, killing 10 sailors, USNI News reported.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.

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