On May 6, 2016, a 21-year-old Navy SEAL trainee named James Derek Lovelace died during a pool exercise in Coronado, California. Lovelace, who was in his first week of the rigorous Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, known as BUD/S, was participating in a combat swimmer orientation. The exercise required trainees to tread water while wearing fatigues, boots, and a dive mask filled with water.
According to an autopsy report from the San Diego County medical examiner, Lovelace was struggling to stay afloat during the drill. Surveillance video of the training showed an instructor repeatedly dunking Lovelace under the water. For about five minutes, the instructor also followed him around the pool, continually splashing him. At one point, another trainee attempted to help Lovelace keep his head above water. Despite showing clear signs of distress, including his face turning purple and his lips turning blue, the instructor's actions continued. Shortly after being pulled from the pool, Lovelace lost consciousness and was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The medical examiner ruled Lovelace's death a homicide, with the cause of death being drowning. The autopsy report also noted that a pre-existing heart condition was a contributing factor. The medical examiner stated that while some might consider the death an accident given the nature of the training, 'the actions, and inactions, of the instructors and other individuals involved were excessive and directly contributed to the death.' It was also reported that dunking or pulling students underwater was against the specific training regulations for that exercise.
Following an investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service the Navy announced in April 2017 that it would not be pursuing criminal charges against the instructor or any other personnel involved in Lovelace's death. The Navy's statement indicated that they had determined the death was not the result of a crime. The instructor involved was reassigned to administrative duties pending the outcome of the investigation. The family of James Derek Lovelace expressed their dismay at the decision not to file charges and announced their intention to file a lawsuit.
