At least two sailors who helped fight an aggressive fire that lasted for days on board the USS Bonhomme Richard last week off the San Diego coast have tested positive for the coronavirus, US Navy officials confirmed Friday. USA
The two sailors are crew members on the USS San Diego, an amphibious transport dock, which stopped alongside Bonhomme Richard to assist with firefighting efforts as the warship continued to burn for more than four days on the San Diego Bay. At least 27 people who have come into contact with them have started quarantining.
According to the sailors who spoke to The San Diego Tribune on condition of anonymity, most of the firefighting equipment aboard the Bonhomme Richard was destroyed, and therefore the responding sailors exchanged and shared bespoke masks and gloves that the “chaotic” scene was unfolding. .
THE NAVY STARTS INVESTIGATION OF AGGRESSIVE FIRE ON BOARD THE USS BONHOMME RICHARD: REPORT
“Two sailors supporting the USS Bonhomme Richard’s firefighting operations recently tested positive for COVID-19 after showing symptoms,” Lt. Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman, a Navy spokeswoman, said in a statement provided to the Tribune on Friday. “Contract tracking identified 27 close contacts. All contacts were placed in ROM [restriction of movement]. The Navy continues to implement COVID-19 mitigation measures to protect the health of our force. “
Chief Admiral of Naval Operations Mike Gilday said Saturday that he visited Bonhomme Richard and “was honored to meet with the sailors and firefighters who worked tirelessly last week.”
“It was obvious to me, his endurance, bravery, confidence and competence led to every heroic and courageous action in the fight against this fire,” he wrote on Twitter.
At a press conference Friday, Gilday said more than 400 sailors from 16 San Diego-based ships helped fight the fire last week.
INTERMEDIATE SECRETARY OF ARMS EXPELLED US CAPTAIN THEODORE ROOSEVELT AS ‘NAIVO’ AND ‘STUPID’ IN THE DIRECTION OF THE BOAT CREW
After touring the “extensive damage” sustained on the Bonhomme Richard, he promised a thorough investigation into the worst fire of US warships out of action in recent memory. Gilday said the probe will analyze what caused the fire, as well as whether there were enough sailors on duty when it happened and the circumstances surrounding why a firefighting system was deactivated when the fire broke out on the morning of July 12 while the ship maintenance was docked.
The Navy thought it had the fire under control that night, just a few hours after it exploded in the ship’s lower storage area, where cardboard boxes, rags, and other maintenance supplies were stored. But the winds coming from the San Diego Bay lit the flames and the fire spread the elevator shafts and the exhaust piles.
Then two explosions, one heard from as much as 13 miles away, caused it to grow further, Gilday said. The Navy is investigating what caused the blasts, though authorities say they have yet to find any indication of foul play.
Gilday said it appears that the commanding officer who removed the sailors from the ship after the explosions made “some very wise decisions in terms of how to attack the fire very deliberately.” He praised the sailors who all train with the fire departments and repeatedly returned to the smoky, dark boat with temperatures rising in parts above 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
More than 60 sailors and civilians have been treated for minor injuries, heat exhaustion, and smoke inhalation since July 12.
Another San Diego-based aircraft carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, was shelved in Guam for 10 weeks earlier this year after nearly 25 percent of its 4,800 crew members tested positive for the coronavirus and a sailor. died. The ship finally returned to its San Diego home in early July.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
