At least two sailors who helped fight an aggressive fire that raged on for days aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard last week off the coast of San Diego have since tested positive for the coronavirus, U.S. Navy officials confirmed on Friday.
The two sailors are crew members on the USS San Diego, an amphibious transport dock, that pulled up alongside the Bonhomme Richard to help with firefighting efforts as the warship continued to burn for more than four days in the San Diego Bay. At least 27 people who have come in contact with them have begun to quarantine.
According to sailors who spoke to The San Diego Tribune on condition of anonymity, most of the firefighting equipment aboard the Bonhomme Richard was destroyed, and, sailors responding from neighboring ships, therefore, swapped and shared masks and gloves as the “chaotic” scene unfolded.