A civilian member of the U.S. Navy was killed while working on a military vessel at a South Carolina shipyard, the Charleston County coroner said.
While performing maintenance on the USNS William McLean, boatswain’s mate Martin Anthony fell 25 feet to his death, Navy officials said to NavyTimes.
The coroner’s office said the 51-year-old suffered blunt force trauma to the head and died on the ship last month, WCSC reported.
The William McLean is docked at Detyens Shipyard, which is beneath the Don Holt Bridge on the Cooper River, according to WCIV.
The vessel is a dry cargo and ammunition ship, which has recently been used to provide support following Hurricane Irma, according to the Navy. About 100 civil service mariners serve as the crew on the ship, and their responsibilities include “cargo handling, navigation and propulsion.”
Civil service mariners are federal government employees who have careers in the Navy, working on U.S. government-owned ships, the Navy said.
“Their service is the backbone of our mission and it plays a vital role in the Navy’s ability to operate forward every day,” according to the Navy.
Anthony’s death is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, per WCSC.
The Navy said the native of Guyana became a civil service mariner in 2015, and he was promoted two days before his fatal fall, NavyTimes reported.
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© 2019 The State (Columbia, S.C.)
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