Navy: Member of SEAL Team 8 dies after training incident

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Navy says that a SEAL commander has died from injuries he got during a training accident in Virginia. Naval Special Warfare Command said Wednesday that Cmdr. Brian Bourgeois was injured Saturday. The 43-year-old fell while fast-roping down from a helicopter. The cause of his fall is under investigation. A Navy official says it wasn’t clear if the rope separated from the aircraft. Bourgeois was the commanding officer of SEAL Team 8. He died Monday at Norfolk Sentara General Hospital in Norfolk. Rear Adm. H.W. Howard III is commander of Naval Special Warfare Command. He says Bourgeois “was one of our very best leaders, who possessed all the attributes that make our force effective.”