A Marine who was presumed dead after going missing at sea during an overnight raid near Somalia has been identified as a North Texas native.
On the night of Jan. 11, Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram, 27, was on the water. He was in the process of seizing a ship that was illegally transporting advanced lethal aid from Iran. The aid was intended to resupply Houthi forces in Yemen, according to a Navy statement.
Gage Ingram was from Trophy Club, Texas, outside Roanoke in Denton County.
Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher J. Chambers, 37, is the other SEAL whose name the Navy revealed Monday.
Based on reports from US defense officials, Special Forces personnel were attempting to board a schooner, a small boat, that night. But due to the harsh sea conditions, one of the sailors fell into the water. According to established protocol, the army said that a second sailor jumped in to rescue the first. Unfortunately, they both disappeared into the darkness.
Gage Ingram and Chambers completed boot camp at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, outside Chicago, before graduating from SEAL qualification training in Coronado, California, the Navy said.
“It's more challenging; it's a military operation, and unfortunately, it led to this tragic outcome,” Mark Palmert told NBC 5.
Palmert is a former US Navy admiral who ran SEAL operations like the one Ingram and Chambers sent when they disappeared. Trying to secure a moving vessel to search for it while it is in open waters poses serious risks, Palmert said.
“The sea is rough while moving across the seas,” Palmert said. “The operation takes place at night.” “So it has many inherent risks associated with it that make it more difficult.”
Some Navy experts told NBC 5 they want to see the results of the investigation into the operation; Regardless, Navy SEALs enter these scenarios knowing their lives are on the line.
“It's just a dangerous operation, and unfortunately it went wrong,” Palmert said.
NBC 5 has reached out to Gage Ingram's family. Family members responded that they are not ready to talk about him and this loss yet, saying they are still working to get more information about how it happened.
