US Central Command photo
As helicopters and drones loitered above, three combat boats deployed from the Puller and approached the dhow in rough waters. Some commandos used an attachable ladder to board the dhow, while others simply climbed over the vessel’s railing.
Chambers, who was carrying as much as 48 pounds of gear, attempted to grab the railing on the dhow but slipped and fell some 9 feet into the water. He tried to get back onto the boat but was swept under by a wave.
Ingram, who was carrying an estimated 80 pounds of gear, jumped in seconds later to try to save Chambers, but he quickly sank into the sea, despite some indications that he tried to shed some of his equipment and deploy his flotation device. The waters in the area are around 12,000 feet deep.
“Observing his teammate struggling, (Ingram) jumped into the water to render (Chambers) assistance,” the investigation says. “Encumbered by the weight of each individual’s gear, neither their physical capability nor emergency supplemental flotation devices, if activated, were sufficient to keep them at the surface.”
US Central Command photo
However, the investigation continues to say that “deficiencies, gaps and inconsistencies in doctrine, tactics, techniques and procedures created missed opportunities for safeguards that could have decreased the likelihood for this incident.”
According to the investigation, the gaps included conflicting guidance on buoyancy requirements, issues with the maintenance of emergency buoyancy equipment, failure to recognize risks to buoyancy, and failure to recognize the role that emergency flotation devices and supplemental buoyant material should play in achieving buoyancy, the ability to float.
The investigation also called out insufficient training with the Tactical Flotation Support System device.
In the wake of the fatal incident, the investigation outlines several recommended changes, including a review of training and adding pre-mission requirements such as checking equipment and buoyancy.