A decorated veteran Navy SEAL, Chief Special Warfare Operator Michael T. Ernst, died on Sunday during military free-fall training in Marana, Arizona. Ernst was taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m. Navy officials said that the cause of the mishap is being investigated. Ernst, who enlisted in the Navy in August 2009, had received several military awards and decorations, including a Silver Star. Rear Adm. Keith Davids, who heads Naval Special Warfare Command, expressed his condolences to Ernst’s family, calling him an exceptional teammate. The fatal accident is the first parachuting mishap in nearly six years to claim the life of a Navy SEAL.