Honors For NJ Navy Candidate Who Died After 'Hell Week' Training

NEW JERSEY — At an undetermined date in the near future, flags will fly at half staff in honor of Kyle Mullen, the Manalapan Navy SEAL candidate who died Friday. Gov. Phil Murphy made the announcement Monday at his press conference.

“He represented the very best of the state and country,” said the governor. “He was a legend in athletics and all walks of life.”

A date has not yet been finalized, said a spokeswoman for the governor's office Tuesday.

Mullen will be honored at Manalapan High school’s annual football banquet later this week, reported NJ.com. Manalapan High School will also likely retire his football number, 44.

Mullen, 24, died Friday after he and the rest of his Navy SEAL class successfully completed Hell Week, according to this statement from the U.S. Navy announcing his death. Another SEAL candidate, who has not been named, remains hospitalized.

Both SEALs-in-training started to report symptoms after an intensive water exercise. They were taken to local hospitals, said the Navy. Mullen died at 5:42 p.m. Friday. The other sailor is in stable condition in a California hospital.

The U.S. Navy has not specifically said what caused Mullen to die. The cause of his death is currently unknown and an investigation is underway.

"His teammates loved him. These guys are all 24 years old now and we've had grown young men crying hysterically all weekend," said Mullen's former coach, longtime Manalapan High School football coach Ed Gurrieri. "Mullen was also in the National Honor Society and excelled at academics. His GPA was in the 4.2 to 4.4 range when he graduated. He was All State and led our team to its first state championship; he played defense. It's a tragedy. When you look at his qualifications and who you want in a Navy SEAL, he's the guy."

"I was the football coach for a long time and I knew Kyle and his family pretty well. They said he passed about four hours after training (Friday)," he continued. "They said they couldn't revive him. I know he was in the water that day. That's really all they told (his mother). That's all we know at this time."

Read the original Patch report: NJ Navy SEAL Candidate Dies After 'Hell Week' Training