Three U.S. Navy sailors who served on the same aircraft carrier have died in the last week, military officials announced Tuesday.
According to reports, two of the deceased sailors aboard the nuclear-powered USS George Washington have already been identified. The third sailor, who has yet to be named, had been found unresponsive on the ship last Friday.
Regarding the three deaths, which occurred on dry dock, Navy officials say the tragedies are unrelated. No causes of death have been made public.
Navy officials have also deployed a rapid response psychiatric team on board the vessel, which had been undergoing refurbishments in Newport News, Va. since 2017.
Retail Services Specialist 3rd Class Mika'il Rayshawn Sharp died on April 9; and the following day, Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Natasha Huffman also passed away.
Both sailors were 23 years old.
"Word of my daughter, Natasha Huffman's death has been spreading rapidly," her mother, Kathleen Krull, wrote on Facebook, according to The Daily Mail. "She had a heart of gold and always stood up for the underdog. She was fiercely protective of people she loved. It still doesn't seem real to me that my baby girl is gone."
Huffman's boyfriend, Will Maher, characterized Natasha as "my best friend and my soulmate," while also thanking friends, family, and well-wishers on social media.
"I don't think Tasha realized how many lives she'd touched. I know that she would have loved to see everyone's kind words," said Maher.
Regarding the third sailor's death, Naval Air Force Atlantic spokesman Michael Maus offered this update.
"The sailor was treated by the medical team on board before being transported to Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, where the service member passed away. The incident is under investigation and the command continues to cooperate with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service."
Navy spokeswoman Cmdr. Reann Mommsen added: "While these incidents remain under investigation (via the Naval Criminal Investigative Service), there is no initial indication to suggest there is a correlation between these tragic events. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family, friends, and shipmates of our sailors."
The USS George Washington, the US Navy's sixth Nimitz class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was originally christened by then-First Lady Barbara Bush in 1990.
It was first deployed in the first Gulf War and has reportedly seen duty in Japan, Korea, the Caribbean, and South America.
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