Coast Guard probes crewman’s death aboard cutter moored in Ketchikan

Dominic Villarreal. (Courtesy of Renee Dalila Villarreal)

U.S. Coast Guard investigators are looking into the Feb. 20 death of a crew member aboard a Coast Guard cutter tied up in Ketchikan.

On Wednesday, Petty Officer First Class Nate Littlejohn identified the 20-year-old man found lifeless aboard the cutter John McCormick.

“Fireman Dominic Villarreal, age 20, was pronounced deceased after being found unresponsive aboard the vessel Sunday morning while moored in Ketchikan,” Littlejohn said.

Condolences poured in on social media. Family and friends shared their grief and sorrow.

“My soul won’t stop wailing,” aunt Renee Dalila Villarreal wrote on Facebook.

Littlejohn, the Anchorage-based Coast Guard spokesperson, says it’s currently unclear what led to Dominic Villarreal’s death. He expressed his condolences.

“The loss of a member of our Coast Guard family is tragic, and our primary concern is providing support to the John McCormick’s crew and Villareal’s family, who live in California, Maryland,” Littlejohn said.

The Coast Guard Investigative Service is leading the inquiry.