30 sailors, Marines assigned to Norfolk-based ships injured in hovercraft training mishap, Navy says

Thirty sailors and Marines assigned to Norfolk-based Navy ships were injured Wednesday in a hovercraft training incident, the Navy said.

The service members were injured in an “incident” involving two hovercraft vessels, also known as air-cushioned landing craft, according to a Thursday news release from the U.S. 2nd Fleet. The sailors and Marines were serving aboard amphibious ships USS Wasp and USS New York, both homeported at Naval Station Norfolk. The ships were training off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida, when the incident occurred.

Five of the injured sailors required medical evacuation to Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia. Four of the five sailors were released from the hospital after treatment, according to the Navy. One sailor remained in the hospital as of Thursday.

The remaining 25 sailors and Marines had minor injuries and were treated aboard the Wasp and New York.

“The recovery and investigation processes are ongoing, and more information will be provided by U.S. 2nd Fleet once available,” the service said.

The service members have been training off the East Coast since mid-April as part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as they prepare for deployment later this year. A spokesperson for U.S. 2nd Fleet did not immediately respond Friday when asked if the incident would delay the deployment.