Navy releases names of seven sailors killed in ship collision

The U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet has identified the seven sailors from the USS Fitzgerald who died when their destroyer collided with a Philippine-flagged container ship off the coast of Japan early Saturday. Navy divers recovered the bodies from flooded berths after the damaged destroyer limped back to port in Yokosuka, Japan. The victims were 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 Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, Calif.; Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Md.; and Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio. “We are all deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our fellow shipmates,” acting Navy Secretary Sean Stackley said in a statement. “As details emerge, we can all be proud of the heroic effort by the crew to tend to the needs of those injured and save the ship from further damage while returning safely to port.” Japan’s coast guard continues to investigate the activity of the ACX Crystal before and after its collision with the much smaller Fitzgerald, including why the Crystal’s crew took nearly an hour to report the collision.

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