A Navy SEAL who suffered fatal injuries during parachute training at Pinal Airpark last week has been identified.
Chief Special Warfare Operator Lance M. Vaccaro, 35, of Reading, Pa., died Thursday, according to a press release from the Navy’s Special Warfare Command.
The incident took place about 8 a.m. and Vaccaro was transported to University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
“Chief Lance Vaccaro was an outstanding SEAL, a combat tested leader and a great American,” said Rear Admiral Joseph Kernan, commander of the Naval Special Warfare Command, in a press release.
Its the second death to occur during parachute training at the facility in less than a month.
On Feb. 13, Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas J. Valentine, 37, was killed during a free-fall parachute training exercise, which is similar to civilian skydiving.
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His body was found at the Mission Royale Golf Course in Casa Grande, 30 miles south of Phoenix. Valentine, from Minnesota, was a father of two who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Cmdr. Greg Geisen, a Naval Special Warfare Command spokesman, told the Star on Friday that Navy officials had decided to suspend training at the facility in the wake of the two deaths.
Officials at the airpark also will conduct a safety stand-down, which is when personnel check equipment and review safety procedures and training manuals, Geisen said.
While safety is a top concern, the type of training conducted by SEALs is "extremely challenging and has inherent risks," Geisen said in a press release issued after Vaccaro’s death.
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