SINGAPORE — The Navy has identified a second victim of the collision between the USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker near Singapore.
The 7th Fleet said Friday that Navy and Marine Corps divers recovered and identified remains of 26-year-old Electronics Technician 3rd Class Dustin Louis Doyon on Thursday night. He is from Suffield.
More divers and equipment arrived overnight to continue the search inside flooded compartments of the ship for eight others still missing.
Earlier Thursday, divers recovered the remains of 22-year-old Electronics Technician 3rd Class Kenneth Aaron Smith from New Jersey.
Ten sailors went missing and five others were injured in the accident, which occurred Monday as the McCain was heading to Singapore for a routine port call. The destroyer is now in port in Singapore.
“Dustin is a patriot and a hero. My prayers are with the Doyon family,” said Senator Chris Murphy. “My office is here to help them however we can.”
The Doyon family released the following statement at around 6:30 Friday morning:
On behalf of the entire Doyon family, we want to thank all those who have extended their support and prayers. Dustin was a wonderful son, big brother, and Sailor. He truly loved his family, the Navy, and his shipmates. We are incredibly proud of him and his service to our country. We will miss him immensely and we are so very thankful for the 26 wonderful years we had together.
As we mourn the loss of our son and brother, we would like extend our appreciation to so many people, especially to the community of Suffield, Connecticut who has been supporting us since we first learned of the accident. We are also thankful to the United States Navy for their continued support and are thinking of the brave crew of USS John S. McCain who are still hard at work with a difficult task.
We ask everyone to keep the families and friends of those affected by this terrible tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.
As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our family and we respectfully request that you continue to respect and honor our privacy.
Thank you.
Governor Malloy on Friday directed flags to half-staff in honor of Dustin Doyon. He said in a statement:
It is with tremendous sadness that we mourn the loss of Petty Officer Doyon and his fellow shipmates, who gave their lives serving our nation. Petty Officer Doyon is an American hero who represented the best of Connecticut and the United States. This loss reminds us of the dangers faced day and night by the men and women of our military who are stationed overseas. Our hearts are with his family and friends during this difficult time – they should know how incredibly proud the people of Connecticut are of his service to our country.
Representative Joe Courtney on Wednesday announced a House Oversight Hearing on the recent naval accidents, which include the incident with the USS John S McCain. He said that he was increasingly concerned by the growing number of accidents, including two fatal with the USS Fitzgerald and the USS John S McCain.
Courtney said in a statement about Dustin:
The Doyon family’s tragic loss of their beloved son Dustin, who was ably serving in our nation’s defense, is a loss for every American. His decision to volunteer to join the Navy, and put himself in harm’s way for his country, showed his patriotism and caring for others, which we should all revere and honor.
