Navy airman recounts USS Lincoln leap: ‘If I was supposed to die then I would have just been dead’

Navy airman Nicholas McKelvey, 19, one of eight sailors who attempted suicide by jumping overboard during the USS Abraham Lincoln's grueling deployment, is speaking out after being effectively punished for the incident. McKelvey jumped on Aug. 3, 255 days into the deployment, according to The New York Times. His account highlights the severe mental health challenges faced by sailors on extended deployments.