New Footage Reveals Extent of Damage on US Carrier; Sailor Feared Ship Was Lost

Newly released video footage offers a starkly different picture of the fire that erupted on the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, revealing the extent of the damage was far more severe than initially reported by the U.S. Navy. The visuals starkly contrast with the brief statement issued by the Navy shortly after the March incident.

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Fire and flooding are the two biggest dangers on any ship.

At the time, the Navy stated the fire was "under control," that two sailors received medical attention for "non-life-threatening injuries," and that the carrier remained "fully operational." However, the CNN-obtained footage shows destroyed sailor sleeping quarters, with charred and twisted metal bed frames visible beneath a ceiling seemingly hollowed out by intense heat. Wires hang from the ceiling, and layers of ash are scattered around the bunks.

One sailor described the harrowing experience to CNN, stating, "I honestly thought we were going to lose the ship." The sailor recounted the intense battle against the flames, emphasizing the dire choice: "Either you fight, or you die."

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I honestly thought we were going to lose the ship.

According to the sailor and a high-ranking U.S. official familiar with the incident, the ship's built-in firefighting system failed. This forced the crew into a prolonged and exhausting improvised fight against the fire. The official asserted that the Navy's public statement downplayed the actual damage sustained by the carrier while it was deployed in the Red Sea for operations against Iran.

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Either you fight, or you die.

The consequences were significant. It took two days before the ship could resume combat flights, confirmed by Admiral Daryl Caudle, Chief of Naval Operations, in April. The carrier was forced to dock in Greece for temporary repairs. When questioned about the fire's scale and the firefighting system's malfunction, a Navy spokesperson stated that an "investigation is still ongoing." It took the crew nearly 30 hours to gain control of the fire, clear the affected areas, and prevent its recurrence. Approximately 600 sailors lost their berthing spaces due to the damage.

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The built-in fire suppression system was supposed to put the fire out.