Navy Operations Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Dominique D. Cruz

Died January 18, 2011 Serving During Operation New Dawn

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26, of Panama City, Fla., assigned to the destroyer Halsey, homeported in San Diego but currently deployed to the Fifth Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations; was found during search and rescue operations Jan. 19 in the Gulf of Oman after being reported missing Jan. 18.

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Destroyer Halsey sailor who went overboard ID’d

By Sam Fellman

Staff writer

The Navy has identified the destroyer Halsey sailor who went missing Tuesday in the Gulf of Oman.

The body of Operations Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Dominique Dionne Cruz, 26, was recovered by a helicopter on Wednesday, 18 hours after she failed to show up at watch, according to a 5th Fleet spokesman.

A helicopter spotted the body in the water and lowered a rescue swimmer, who recovered the body, Lt. Frederick Martin said. The body was found 75 miles east of Fujairah, a port city on the East Coast of the United Arab Emirates.

Helicopters from Halsey, supply oiler Rainier, Royal Navy frigate Cumberland and the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, as well as F/A-18 Hornets and P-3 Orion reconnaissance planes, carried out the search.

The Panama City, Fla. native enlisted June 6, 2006, and had served on Halsey for four years.

An investigation into her death is underway.