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The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is looking into the deaths of three sailors on the USS George Washington within a week. Officials said that the deaths were "unrelated."
Retail Services Specialist 3rd Class Mika'il Rayshawn Sharp, 23, was found dead on April 9, and the body of Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Natasha Huffman, 23, was found the next day. Another sailor whose identity has not been released was found unresponsive on April 15.
Their causes of death have not been released.
The USS George Washington is currently in dry dock in Newport News, Virginia, where it has been undergoing a major overhaul since 2017. The nuclear-powered Nimitz-class ship was getting its nuclear reactor refueled along with other enhancements and repairs as part of a four-year upgrade. The work was supposed to be completed last December, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed the project.
Officials dispatched a Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Team to the ship to provide mental health support for the sailors on the aircraft carrier.
"While these incidents remain under investigation, there is no initial indication to suggest there is a correlation between these tragic events," Navy spokeswoman Cmdr. Reann Mommsen said. "Our thoughts and condolences are with the family, friends, and shipmates of our sailors."