NY Post
A Navy SEAL commanding officer died Tuesday from injuries sustained during a weekend training session, military officials said. Cmdr. Brian Micheal Bourgeois, 43, was hurt Saturday during a “fast-rope training evolution” from a helicopter in Virginia Beach, Virginia, according to a statement released Wednesday by Naval Special Warfare Command. Bourgeois, who was the commanding officer of SEAL Team 8, later died at a hospital in Norfolk. “Initial indications show that the tragedy occurred during a fast-rope training evolution,” Lt. Cmdr. Kara Handley, spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare Command, told The Post in an email. “There is an ongoing command and safety investigation into the incident, and we will release those findings at the appropriate time,” Handley’s email continued. The executive officer of SEAL Team 8 has temporarily assumed command of the unit, Navy officials said. Bourgeois received his commission from the US Naval Academy in 2001. The special warfare officer had several awards and decorations in his service record, including a Bronze Star, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal and an Iraq Campaign Medal.
