SEAL commander dies after rope training injury, Navy says. ‘One of our very best’
A Navy SEAL commander died after he was injured during a rope training exercise in Virginia, officials said.
Cmdr. Brian Bourgeois, 43, is remembered as a dad and husband who had served for more than two decades.
“Brian was one of our very best leaders, who possessed all the attributes that make our force effective,” Rear Adm. H.W. Howard III, a commander of Naval Special Warfare Command, said in a Dec. 8 news release. “We will miss his charismatic leadership and faithful stewardship of our standard. His legacy carries on in teammates he served with, led, and mentored.”
Bourgeois was a SEAL Team 8 commanding officer participating in a training exercise on Dec. 4, officials said.
“Initial indications show that the tragedy occurred during a fast-rope training evolution,” officials said. The exercise involves using a rope to go from a higher point to a lower point, often from a helicopter, according to spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Kara Handley.
The incident was reported in Virginia Beach, and Bourgeois died at nearby Sentara Norfolk General Hospital three days later.
Bourgeois went to the U.S. Naval Academy and “humbly served the Navy and Naval Special Warfare community,” earning several awards over the past 20 years, officials said. He became a commander in 2017.
As of Dec. 8, the training incident was under investigation, and officials reported that “findings will be made available at the appropriate time.” The Navy in its news release said it’s dedicated to offering support for those who knew the late commander.
“An incident like this weighs heavily on us all,” said Capt. Donald G. Wetherbee, commodore of Naval Special Warfare Group 2. “Brian was as tough as they come, an outstanding leader, and a committed father, husband and friend. This is a great loss to everyone who knew him. He will be greatly missed.”
Navy SEALs — which stands for the Sea, Air, and Land Teams — are trained to work in several environments. The force conducts “clandestine missions infiltrating their objective areas by fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, Navy surface ships, combatant craft, submarines and ground mobility vehicles,” the Naval Special Warfare Command said on its website.
