Navy recruit who died days before graduation has been identified

A Navy recruit died during a physical fitness assessment just days before boot camp graduation in Great Lakes, Illinois.

Seaman Recruit Kierra Evans, 20, of Louisiana, was only a week away from finishing when she died unexpectedly, according to a Navy spokesperson.

“She was on track to graduate March 1st, as long as she passed all remaining training requirements,” the spokesperson said. “The Navy and Recruit Training Command take the welfare of our sailors very seriously and are investigating the cause of this tragic loss.”

According to Navy Times, Evans died several hours after Navy personnel administered first aid and transported to Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital -roughly seven miles from the base.

Evans collapsed after the run portion of the Navy’s Physical Fitness Assessment after completing the curl-ups and push-ups, according to a report from the Naval Research Center.

The cause of Evan’s death is unclear and will likely not been known for some time as the autopsy results will not be available for two to three months

The Navy spokesperson said the standard physical fitness evaluation Evans was taking is given to all recruits before graduation.

Evans was an active member of the Navy Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps for four years before joining the Navy, according to her obituary. She was proud to ship off to boot camp, the obituary states, and was expected to graduate exactly a week after her death.

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