Deadly Marine Corps disaster at sea was 'tragic' and 'preventable,' investigation finds
A fatal cocktail of factors resulted in the deaths of eight Marines and a Navy sailor last summer after their 35-year-old armored vehicle sank off the coast of California, according to the results of a Marine Corps investigation.
Insufficient training and maintenance, complacency by Marine officers, and a delayed, chaotic rescue effort contributed to the crisis after the 26-ton amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) sprung numerous leaks. Pumps on the vehicle did not work quickly enough, some Marines aboard did not know how to respond, and there were no safety boats, the investigation said.
In the absence of required precautions, a second AAV crew attempted to rescue the first group of Marines. But in heavy surf, their vehicle collided with the first, turning it on its side with an open hatch. A wave swept over the first vehicle, water rushed inside, and it quickly sank, the investigation found.
The investigation reveals a confluence of human and mechanical failures caused the sinking of the mishap AAV and contributed to a delayed rescue effort, resulting in the deaths of eight Marines and one sailor, Lt. Gen. Steven R. Rudder, the commanding general of Marine Corps Forces Pacific, said in a memo, calling the disaster tragic and preventable.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2021/03/26/marine-training-disaster-deaths/