Massachusetts native who died trying to save fellow Navy SEAL remembered in hometown
CHAMBERS UNIQUE LEGACY. THERE. DAVID WEST FIELD SWIM COACH TOM LEWIS IS WEARING THE HAWAIIAN SHIRT GIVEN TO HIM BY ONE OF THE BEST SWIMMERS HE’S EVER KNOWN. I WAS JUST DEVASTATED. DAY THE TRUTH CHRIS WAS THAT KIND OF KID. CHRIS CHAMBERS WAS PART OF WESTFIELD STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM IN 2004, AND IN 2005 HE WAS THE INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPION IN THE 50 YARD SPRINT. HE DEVELOPED A KICK TURN DRILL THAT THE TEAM STILL USES 20 YEARS LATER. SO WE HAVE AFFECTIONATELY CALLED IT THE CHAMBERS DRILL. SINCE 2004. AT 35 YEARS OLD, CHAMBERS WAS PART OF A NAVY SEAL TEAM THAT THE MILITARY SAYS WAS BOARDING A SHIP IN THE ARABIAN SEA EARLIER THIS MONTH, A SHIP CARRYING WEAPONS TO YEMEN. ANOTHER SEAL NAMED NATHAN GAGE, FELL IN THE WATER CHAMBERS, JUMPED IN TO TRY TO SAVE HIM AND BOTH MEN WENT UNDER. WHEN YOU DO THESE THESE KINDS OF MISSIONS, YOU’RE TYPICALLY WORRYING ABOUT 60 POUNDS WORTH OF ASSAULT GEAR, BODY ARMOR, HELMET, NIGHT VISION. IT SPEAKS VOLUMES TO HIS CHARACTER THAT HE WAS THE ONE THAT WENT IN TO GO SAVE SOMEONE. I WASN’T SURPRISED TO HEAR THAT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, CHAMBERS SWAM FOR UMASS AMHERST, THEN TRANSFERRED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. GRADUALLY, HE LOST TOUCH WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN WESTFIELD, BUT THE MAYOR SAYS THIS COMMUNITY WILL HONOR HIM AS A FALLEN SON. ANY TIME YOU HAVE A MILITARY DEATH THAT WAS ONE OF YOUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, IT’S DEVASTATING TO THE COMMUNITY. THE WESTFIELD SWIM TEAM PLANS TO HONOR CHAMBERS WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE AT THIS EVENING’S MEET. ONE OF HIS FRIENDS TELLS ME HE LEAVES BEHIND A WIFE AND A DAUGHTER WHO WILL TURN THREE ON
Massachusetts native who died trying to save fellow Navy SEAL remembered in hometown
Updated: 5:54 PM EST Jan 23, 2024
Chris Chambers, 35, was part of Westfield High’s state championship swim team in 2004 and was an individual state champ in 2005.
Chris Chambers, 35, was part of Westfield High’s state championship swim team in 2004 and was an individual state champ in 2005.