Navy identifies sailor who died in accident aboard USS Nimitz

Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy identified a sailor who died after a fall aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz as Logistics Specialist Seaman Juan Jose Garcia-Herrera.

Garcia-Herrera, 21, fell several stories on Friday evening from the ship's aircraft elevator onto the pier at Naval air Station North Island in San Diego as the ship was in port, according to the U.S. Navy.

After he was taken to University of California San Diego Regional Trauma Center, he died on Saturday morning, the Navy Times reported.

"Early reports indicate the sailor was returning to the ship, lost his balance after crossing the brow and fell from a lowered aircraft elevator. The cause of the accident is under investigation," the Navy said in a statement.

The type of accident is not common on the ship, Bill Petkovski, USS Nimitz deputy public affairs officer, said.

"That's one of the things that's so stunning about it," Petkovski said.

The ship left its home port of Bremerton, Wash., for pre-deployment training in San Diego.

Garcia-Herrera, a Chicago native, enlisted in the Navy in 2017 and served aboard the aircraft carrier since June 2019.