Search Underway For Sailor Overboard From USS Theodore Roosevelt

SAN DIEGO, CA — A search was underway Thursday for a sailor who apparently went overboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt off the coast of Southern California, Navy officials said.

Crews aboard the San Diego-based aircraft carrier began search-and-rescue efforts Thursday morning after a lookout reportedly spotted what appeared to be a person in the water, according to the U.S. Navy Third Fleet.

One sailor was later confirmed missing during a command-wide roll call, officials said.

The initial search involved three helicopters and a small inflatable watercraft. By Thursday night, the search-and-rescue efforts also included the Coast Guard, Navy aircraft and the USS Bunker Hill, USS Russell, USS Howard and USS Charleston.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt left San Diego on Monday for a scheduled deployment. The ship returned in July from a deployment where roughly a quarter of the crew became infected with COVID-19.