Two Soldiers Die in Accidents
Two Southern California soldiers attached to the Fort Lewis army base near Tacoma, Wash., were killed in separate accidents, military authorities said.
Patrick Lynch, 21, of Anaheim was presumed drowned after a handmade log raft he was riding came apart in the Nisqually River. Lynch and two other soldiers, who made it to shore safely, were participating in escape-and-evasion exercises, a Fort Lewis spokesman said. Lynch’s body was not found.
The second soldier, Gregory Del Hamm, 21, of Alpine in San Diego County, was shot to death when a rifle, being cleaned by another soldier, accidentally discharged.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
