US Navy ends search for USS Nimitz sailor in Arabian Sea

U.S. Navy said Tuesday it halted its search for a sailor believed to have gone overboard from aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in rrn Arabian Sea.

Navy identified missing sailor as Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Ian McKnight. He disappeared Sunday, sparking a ship-wide search before Navy sounded a “man overboard” alert for him.

“We are deeply saddened as we call off search,” said Capt. Max Clark, vessel’s commanding officer. “We hold his family and friends in our hearts during this difficult time.”

Navy said an investigation continued into McKnight’s disappearance.

Nimitz, whose home port is Bremerton, Washington, has been in Arabian Sea since late July with its 5,000 sailors and Marines. It replaced aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Eisenhower had spent months in Arabian Sea on a deployment that saw carrier break Navy’s previous at-sea record. Navy officials have limited port calls due to ongoing pandemic.

Nimitz’s arrival in Mideast saw Iran conduct a live-fire drill targeting a mockup aircraft carrier resembling it.

drill underlined lingering threat of military conflict between Iran and U.S. after a series of escalating incidents last year led to an American drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. Tehran responded to that strike by firing ballistic missiles that wounded dozens of American forces in Iraq.