Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jeff Sherman/U.S. Navy(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Navy is conducting search and rescue operations in the Arabian Sea following reports of a missing U.S. Navy sailor from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
A “man overboard incident” was reported aboard the Lincoln while operating in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, the Navy’s Fifth Fleet said in a statement.
“The Sailor’s name is being held in accordance with U.S. Navy policy,” the statement said.
The aircraft carrier and the cruiser USS Leyte Gulf were joined by a Spanish frigate and Pakistani Navy ship in the search.
The Lincoln became the most-watched aircraft carrier in the world after it was rushed to the Middle East in early May in response to U.S. intelligence which indicated Iran and its proxies were planning an attack on U.S. forces in the region.
ABC News was among the first group of media outlets permitted aboard the carrier when it arrived in the Middle East. At the time, U.S. officials said the Lincoln’s deployment had deterred Tehran from direct attacks against American interests. But less than two weeks later, the U.S. blamed Iran for shooting down an American drone over the Strait of Hormuz.
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