UPDATED: 30 Sailors, Marines Injured After LCAC Collision During Wasp ARG, 24th MEU Training Off Florida

The USS Wasp (LHD 1), with the embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), is underway in the Atlantic Ocean during Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), April 21, 2024. The Wasp (WSP) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)-24th MEU is conducting COMPTUEX, their final at-sea, certification exercise under the evaluation of Carrier Strike Group 4 and Expeditionary Operations Training Group. Throughout COMPTUEX, the WSP ARG-24th MEU is evaluated across a spectrum of scenarios that determine their readiness to deploy. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. John Allen)

GIDGET FUENTES

MAY 2, 2024 8:37 PM – UPDATED: MAY 3, 2024 7:13 PM

This post has been updated with additional information from U.S. 2nd fleet.

One sailor remained hospitalized Friday for treatment of injuries sustained after two Navy air-cushioned landing craft, or LCACs, collided during a training exercise off Florida Wednesday evening, injuring left 30 sailors and Marines, Navy officials said Friday afternoon.

The service is investigating the mishap, which happened off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., during a pre-deployment Composite Training Unit Exercise with amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1), amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD-21) and the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, U.S. 2nd Fleet officials said a statement Friday afternoon to USNI.

There were 18 sailors and 20 Marines aboard the two LCACs when the craft collided, and 30 of them were injured. “Both LCACs involved in the incident remained afloat and have since returned to their ships,” Lt. Cmdr. Kristi Johnson, 2nd Fleet deputy public affairs officer, said in a statement. One LCAC came from Wasp, the other from New York.

“A third LCAC rendered immediate assistance and transported all 38 sailors and Marines” to the two ships, where medical personnel evaluated them for treatment, Johnson said.

“One sailor remains under medical care at a hospital in Savannah, Georgia, and our primary focus is on our sailor’s health and well-being,” Johnson said. “We will continue to provide updates as information is available. The incident remains under investigation.

“Five sailors who were injured were medically evacuated for further care at Savannah Memorial University Medical Center, and four have been released from the hospital after treatment, Navy officials said. Other sailors and Marines with minor injuries were treated aboard Wasp and New York.

Fleet officials provided no further details about the incident.

Wasp is the lead ship for the Norfolk, Va., based Wasp Amphibious Ready Group, which has embarked the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Lejeune, N.C., for scheduled training ahead of a planned overseas deployment.

“The recovery and investigation processes are ongoing, and more information will be provided by U.S. 2nd Fleet once available,” 2nd Fleet said.

The incident, first reported by Navy Times, is the latest to affect the Navy’s amphibious fleet that the Marine Corps counts on to support deployment of its sea-going Marine expeditionary units.

Last month, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti hinted that the scheduled start to Wasp’s deployment might be delayed from its scheduled start of the deployment because of maintenance backlogs across the fleet.

Engineering problems forced the San Diego-based USS Boxer (LHD-4) to return to port at Naval Base San Diego after it deployed with part of the Camp Pendleton, Calif.-based 15th MEU but then suffered steering issues requiring major repairs to its rudder.

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