Navy SEAL Devon Grube died Wednesday from injuries suffered during a kayak incident in the freezing cold Chesapeake Bay, a Navy spokesman confirmed Thursday.
Petty Officer 1st Class Grube’s kayak overturned in the water while he was out kayaking, and although the Coast Guard was able to perform a rescue operation and transport him to a hospital for treatment, he died soon from injuries, The Virginian-Pilot reports.
Grube, who served with the East Coast Naval Special Warfare unit, was off-duty at the time of the accident. The Coast Guard was alerted at 9:20 a.m of an overturned kayak two miles west of Cape Charles in Virginia.
The Coast Guard then launched a response team. Rescuers part of the Mh-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew discovered Grube in the water and relayed his location to the boat crew, which then picked him up.
He arrived at Northampton County EMS at 11:20 a.m.
According to Lt. Trevor Davids, a spokesman for the Navy Special Warfare Center, Grube likely died from “environmental exposure.”
It’s unclear what caused the kayak to overturn.
The water in Chesapeake Bay is about 46 degrees. At temperatures that low, anyone subject to the water for more than a few minutes would lose control of their limbs.
“Our deepest condolences go out the sailor’s family as we work to ensure that they have the support they need in this difficult time,” Davids said in a statement. “We thank the Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads Command Center, Virginia Marine Police, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for their assistance.”
The Grube family also released a statement, thanking those who took part in the search effort.
“The Grube family would like to extend their gratitude to the community for their interest in our beloved Devon,” the Grube family said. “Thank you to those who showed up to look for him. He was a devoted father and a true professional and a wonderful husband.”
Grube joined the Navy in 2005 and during his service won numerous medals.
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