Navy punishes officers overseeing SEAL training after candidate's death - CBS News

The Navy has taken disciplinary enactment against 3 officers who oversaw Navy SEAL grooming earlier this twelvemonth erstwhile a campaigner died conscionable hours aft completing the infamous "Hell Week."

An probe released Wednesday recovered 24-year-old Kyle Mullen died of acute pneumonia with the contributing origin of an enlarged heart. The study details however a deficiency of aesculapian reflection successful the hours aft the grueling grooming delayed getting Mullen the attraction helium needed.  

The Navy has issued letters of informing to Capt. Brian Drechsler, the commanding serviceman of the Naval Special Warfare Center; Capt. Bradley Geary, the erstwhile commanding serviceman of the Basic Training Command, and a elder aesculapian officer. 

The probe said Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) were recovered among Mullen's belongings but explicitly states they were not a origin successful his death. 

The Navy started investigating SEAL candidates for PEDs a week aft Mullen's death. So far, astir 1,250 candidates person been tested and 51 person been removed from training.

The SEAL grooming programme has besides implemented changes to its aesculapian processes, including a request for aesculapian unit to observe candidates for 24 hours aft securing "Hell Week." 

Mullen died Friday, Feb. 4, 2022, conscionable hours aft completing "Hell Week," which had begun the erstwhile Sunday and consisted astir wholly of non-stop carnal activity, overmuch of it successful acold Pacific waters and nighttime temperatures, with lone 4 hours slumber total – what the Navy calls "extreme accent successful a controlled environment." 

Other recruits connected Thursday saw that Mullen was doing worse than anyone else. He had terrible swelling successful his legs and was coughing and spitting up fluids. One enlistee told investigators that portion Mullen tried to nap connected Thursday, his breathing sounded similar helium was "gurgling water." 

By Friday morning, instructors had to springiness Mullen oxygen connected 2 occasions and thrust him successful an ambulance from 1 determination to different truthful helium could decorativeness "Hell Week." After helium stumbled retired of the surf for the past time, Mullen told different recruits however blessed helium was and made calls to his household but was truthful anemic helium required a wheelchair, according to the investigation. 

The recruits said that earlier they were allowed to sleep, they were fixed a briefing astir what they should bash for the adjacent respective hours arsenic they recovered. 

They said they were told that if they had an issue, they should telephone the on-duty aesculapian officer. "We volition spot you astatine immoderate time," work the instructions, which are included successful the report.  

If it was a superior emergency, they should telephone 911, but they were cautioned against seeking extracurricular assistance due to the fact that different doctors mightiness not recognize "Hell Week" and, seeing their carnal condition, could hospitalize them. 

Recruits who were waiting for their ain SEAL people to statesman and had nary aesculapian acquisition were assigned to ticker them successful their barracks, according to the report. One enlistee told investigators aesculapian unit made 1 expanse of the barracks astir noon to cheque if everyone was accounted for but did not look to cheque anyone's aesculapian status.   

During the people of the afternoon, Mullen's information deteriorated – his tegument had turned bluish and helium was spitting and coughing up blood. 

The recruits watching Mullen and his classmates said they called the work aesculapian serviceman who told them to telephone 911 if it was a superior emergency. But Mullen insisted helium didn't privation to spell to the infirmary due to the fact that helium was acrophobic that would get him rolled backmost to different people and helium would person to spell done "Hell Week" again.

One of the recruits successful complaint of watching Mullen told investigators helium believed they should person taken Mullen to the infirmary anyhow due to the fact that helium wasn't "in his close mind."

By the clip the recruits yet called 911, it was excessively precocious to revive Mullen.

Wednesday's merchandise is not the past probe into Mullen's death. A wider probe into the circumstances surrounding his decease is presently underway and volition look into the information measures successful place, the qualifications of the instructors and aesculapian providers, and the "prevalence" of PEDs usage successful Mullen's class.

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• Navy SEALs