Navy launches investigation after 3 sailors from the same ship die within 1 week


The U.S. Navy is investigating the deaths of three sailors assigned to the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, the Navy told CBS News on Tuesday. All of the sailors died within a week of each other.
The USS George Washington is docked at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, as it undergoes a refueling and complex overhaul.
The Navy said one sailor, whose name has not been released, died April 15 on the ship. They were found unresponsive, and later died at a hospital in Newport News. Two other sailors assigned to the USS George Washington were found dead offsite on April 9 and April 10; they have been identified as Retail Services Specialist 3rd Class Mikail Sharp and Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Natasha Huffman.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
There is no initial evidence suggesting that the deaths are related, the Navy told CBS News, adding that chaplains, psychologists, and counselors have been made available to support the USS George Washington's crew.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Aug. 11 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include solar power shunned by Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin's appetite for Ukraine, and another distraction from the Epstein files
-
Celebrating Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence
The Week Recommends The beautiful city is paying tribute to its most famous son with a series of cultural events
-
Sudoku medium: August 11, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
Australian woman found guilty of mushroom murders
speed read Erin Patterson murdered three of her ex-husband's relatives by serving them toxic death cap mushrooms
-
Combs convicted on 2 of 5 charges, denied bail
Speed Read Sean 'Diddy' Combs was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking
-
Sniper kills 2 Idaho firefighters in ambush
Speed Read A man started a wildfire, then fired a rifle at first responders when they arrived
-
Weinstein convicted of sex crime in retrial
Speed Read The New York jury delivered a mixed and partial verdict at the disgraced Hollywood producer's retrial
-
'King of the Hill' actor shot dead outside home
speed read Jonathan Joss was fatally shot by a neighbor who was 'yelling violent homophobic slurs,' says his husband
-
DOJ, Boulder police outline attacker's confession
speed read Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned the attack for a year and 'wanted them all to die'
-
Assailant burns Jewish pedestrians in Boulder
speed read Eight people from the Jewish group were hospitalized after a man threw Molotov cocktails in a 'targeted act of violence'
-
Driver rams van into crowd at Liverpool FC parade
speed read 27 people were hospitalized following the attack