Navy identifies 7 sailors who were killed in crash

WASHINGTON (Fox 32 News) - The U.S. Navy identified Sunday seven sailors who were lost aboard the USS Fitzgerald after a Japanese merchant vessel struck the warship miles off the coast of Japan.

The U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet identified the deceased sailors as:

• Gunner’s Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, Va.
• Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego, Calif.
• Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, Conn.
• Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, Texas
• Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlosvictor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, Calif.
• Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Md.
• Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio

The bodies were found in previously flooded compartments, including sleeping quarters. Searchers gained access to these spaces that were damaged during the collision and brought the remains to Naval Hospital Yokosuka, the Navy said Saturday.

The USS Fitzgerald was back at its home port in Yokosuka Naval Base south of Tokyo by sunset Saturday. The Philippine-flagged container ship was berthed at Tokyo’s Oi wharf, where officials were questioning crew members about the cause of the nighttime crash.

After stabilizing the USS Fitzgerald, the destroyer USS Dewey had joined other American and Japanese vessels and aircraft in the search for the missing sailors.

The U.S. 7th Fleet said in a statement that the crash damaged two berthing spaces, a machinery room and the radio room. The majority of the more than 200 sailors aboard would have been asleep in their berths at the time of the pre-dawn crash.

Water was being pumped out of flooded areas, and it was unclear how long it would take to get into the crushed mid-right side of the ship once it was at the pier in Yokosuka, the Navy’s statement said Saturday.

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