U.S. Navy identifies seven sailors who died when destroyer and container ship collided

The U.S. Navy has identified the seven sailors who died in a collision between the U.S. destroyer Fitzgerald and a container ship off Japan on Saturday.

They are:

• Gunner’s Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, of Palmyra, Va.
• Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, of San Diego
• Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, of Oakville, Conn.
• Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, of Weslaco, Texas
• Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlosvictor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, of Chula Vista, Calif.
• Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, ofHalethorpe, Md.
• Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, of Elyria, Ohio

The damage of the right side of the USS Fitzgerald is seen off Shimoda, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan, after the Navy destroyer collided with a merchant ship, Saturday, June 16, 2017. The U.S. Navy says the USS Fitzgerald suffered damage below the water line on its starboard side after it collided with a Philippine-flagged merchant ship. (Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo News via AP)

(Iori Sagisawa / Associated Press)

The collision occurred about 2:30 a.m. about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka. The 7th Fleet was providing updates on its Facebook page.

The Fitzgerald sustained significant damage, and the ship’s commander, Cmdr. Bryce Benson, was evacuated via helicopter. Benson was transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka. Two sailors also were taken to the facility with bruises and cuts.