The Navy SEAL candidate who died hours after finishing the infamously brutal Hell Week test is 24-year-old Seaman Kyle Mullen, who joined the Navy in 2021.
The Navy said that Kyle Mullen died at a San Diego area hospital on Friday after he reported experiencing symptoms of an unknown illness along with another SEAL candidate.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the other SEAL candidate, whose name remains unreleased, was hospitalized in stable condition.
The official cause of death is unknown and under investigation. Both men fell ill just hours after completing the test that ends the first testing phase and selection for the elite BUD/S class (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL).
The Navy said neither sailor had undergone an accident or unusual incident during Hell Week.
The Family Of The Navy SEAL Candidate Who Died
IN A STATEMENT, Rear Admiral Howard III, the Naval Special Warfare Command commander in Coronado, California, sympathized with Mullen’s family.
“We are extending every form of support we can to the Mullen family and Kyle’s BUD/S classmates,” Howard III said.
According to his Navy biography, Mullen joined the Navy in March 2021. The Union-Tribune said Mullen reported to SEAL training in Coronado in July.
The SEAL program tests physical and psychological strength, water competency, and leadership skills. The program is so grueling that at least 50% to 60% don’t make it through Hell Week when candidates.
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