US Navy Sailor Went Overboard From USS Abraham Lincoln as Conditions Worsened on Ship: CNN

(Spc. 1st Class Robert S. Price/U.S. Navy via AP)

A U.S. Navy sailor went overboard from the USS Abraham Lincoln last month amid a possible mental health crisis among service members on the vessel, whose deployment has been extended as a result of the Iran war, CNN reported on Thursday.

The sailor was rescued by fellow service members a short time later, according to CNN. It’s not clear why he or she went overboard or when they returned to duty, if at all.

The incident, which has not been previously reported, is the latest in a flurry of concerning reports about the conditions for the 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the aircraft carrier.

The vessel departed from San Diego on the aircraft carrier on Nov. 21, but the deployment — originally set to end in May — has been extended as the Iran conflict rages on.

In recent weeks, reports have emerged of a crisis on board as the service members grapple with unsanitary conditions, delayed delivery of food and supplies, and mental health crises.

The Navy denied a spike in suicide attempts aboard the ship.

“We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship,” the Navy said in a statement to CNN. “We take every service member’s well-being seriously and have religious, medical and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise.”

This week, grim anonymous text messages from sailors were revealed to MeidasTouch’s Aaron Parnas that cast a spotlight on the alleged lack of food aboard the ship.

“This deployment is the worst one and I pray no other boat goes through the same,” one sailor wrote to a relative in a message shared with the outlet.

“Even people that have been deployed a hundred times claim this one to be the worst and believe it can get worse than this. The Navy does not care. The mission will always come first.”

“Haven’t had milk in 3 months,” the sailor said in another text.

“It takes so long for supplies to arrive, nothing fresh is included,” the sailor explained in another message.

“So we haven’t had anything fresh except meat caused its freezed [sic],” they wrote. “Sometimes it gets here rotten.”

The situation has gotten the attention of lawmakers like Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), who sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao on Wednesday, demanding details on the deployment and how reported problems, including lack of “hygiene products, mold, broken toilets or laundry facilities, inadequate water supplies, or other deteriorating living conditions,” are being handled.

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