CRESTVIEW — Military service members know they could pay the ultimate price for defending our country’s freedoms.
But a Crestview Navy SEAL trainee did not have to die May 6, according to a report from the San Diego County medical examiner’s office.
Seaman James Derek Lovelace, 21, died May 6 during a Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL course at California-based Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
Now, Lovelace’s death is considered a homicide.
“Video surveillance obtained by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) shows that when Lovelace was struggling during a swimming exercise, one instructor on a platform pointed him out to a second one in the water,” a Washington Post article states. “The second instructor approached Lovelace, dunked him and then followed him around the pool for five minutes, according to a report obtained Wednesday from the San Diego County medical examiner’s office.”
“He continually splashes the decedent, dunks him at least one additional time, and appears to be yelling at him,” the report said. “The decedent is also splashed by other individuals during the event. At one point in the video, another individual in the water is seen pulling him up and away from the instructor.”
The medical examiner’s report listed drowning as the cause of death, with enlarged heart as a contributing factor.
This is a developing story. Here’s more on the medical examiner’s report>>
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Medical examiner rules Crestview Navy SEAL trainee's death a homicide