NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – The U.S. Navy said Monday it is investigating the death of a sailor who had been assigned to the USS Montana submarine.

“A Sailor assigned to USS Montana (SSN 794) was found unresponsive this morning on the pier adjacent to Montana by another crew member at Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipyard (HII-NNS),” according to a statement from the commander of the Submarine Forces Atlantic spokesperson. “The injured Sailor was taken to Riverside hospital and pronounced deceased.

“We deeply mourn the loss of our shipmate, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Sailor’s family, friends and co-workers during this difficult time. The U.S. Navy is cooperating fully with authorities and the incident remains under investigation.”

The Virginia-class submarine was built at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. That construction began in 2015, and the submarine was christened in September 2020.