A sailor serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln was rescued last month after going overboard into the water, according to a U.S. official.
The official confirmed to CNN the sailor was quickly pulled from the water and medically evaluated, although it’s not clear whether that service member returned to duty or evacuated from the aircraft carrier.
The U.S. Navy ship is currently on the longest aircraft carrier deployment on record, marked by an unusual lack of normal port visits, and service members on board have reported deteriorating living conditions and attempts by despairing sailors to throw themselves overboard.
However, the official said the Navy has “not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship,” telling CNN “we take every service member’s well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise.”
Sailors typically go through difficult adjustments over a deployment, the official said, and the ship is “not experiencing an uptick in mental health issues.”
The official noted that resources available to the crew include five chaplains, a psychologist, a clinical social worker, behavioral health technicians, a prevention counselor, and a therapy dog named Captain Fathom.
The Navy’s account contrasts with new reporting from Military Times, which has documented multiple instances of Abraham Lincoln sailors attempting to go overboard, raising questions about the psychological toll of extended time at sea.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
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