Marine Dies After Fast-Rope Training Injuries at Camp Schwab

Lance Cpl. Devin J. Hernandez, a 25-year-old combat engineer from Maryland, died Tuesday evening of injuries he suffered during fast-rope training at Marine Corps Camp Schwab in Okinawa, Japan, the 3rd Marine Division said Thursday, according to Stars and Stripes and ABC News.

Hernandez served with 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and was on Okinawa with the division’s 4th Marine Regiment under the Unit Deployment Program, Stars and Stripes reported, citing a division news release. The division said he was taken for medical treatment and later died of his injuries. His decorations included the Navy Arctic Service Ribbon, according to the release as reported by Stars and Stripes.

Fast-rope drill and open investigation

Fast-roping lets troops drop quickly from a helicopter or Osprey tiltrotor by sliding down a thick rope. Marines at Camp Schwab practice on a rappel tower before moving to air operations, Stars and Stripes said. The division’s release did not describe the injuries, say exactly when they occurred or name the hospital where Hernandez was treated, the newspaper reported.

A 3rd Marine Division spokesman told The Japan Times the training incident took place on Nov. 3 and that the cause of death remains under investigation. The U.S. has about 54,000 military personnel stationed in Japan, mostly in Okinawa Prefecture, The Japan Times reported.

Division response

“The Marines and Sailors of 3rd Marine Division mourn the loss of one of our own,” Maj. Gen. Kyle Ellison, the division commander, said in the release, according to Stars and Stripes. “We extend our deepest condolences to Lance Cpl. Hernandez’s family, friends, and fellow Marines. Our focus remains on supporting them while we fully investigate the circumstances of this tragic incident.”

Developing: The Marine Corps has not released a cause of death or a full account of how the fast-rope exercise went wrong; the investigation is ongoing.

Sources: Stars and Stripes, ABC News, The Japan Times, 3rd Marine Division.