Kyle Mullen.Photo: Monmouth HawksThe mother of the U.S. Navy SEAL candidate who died during “Hell Week” is criticizing the training process that she believes contributed to her son’s death.Former college football player Kyle Mullendied at age 24in February after being hospitalized at the Sharp Coronado Hospital in San Diego following his completion of the notorious training session.In a new interview withCBS News, Regina Mullen said her 24-year-old son suffered heat stroke during the intense selection process in Southern California this February, and sustained a core temperature of 104.3 degrees Fahrenheit.The New Jersey mother compared the training that led toher son’s deathto a “sick hazing.““It’s not training,” she told the outlet. “I believe you need SEALs, but not this type of torture.“The Navy did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.Anthony Walker/AP/ShutterstockRegina was communicating with her son just hours before he died and became concerned after speaking with him on the phone, per CBS' report.“He could barely breathe and I was yelling at him,” the mom recalled. She then asked, “Are you in a hospital?” to which he replied, “No Ma, don’t worry,” and “I love you.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Regina later sent her son a text message, telling him, “I need to know your condition. You did not sound good.” Kyle died within hours of their communications, she said.An autopsy revealed that Kyle died of pneumonia and did not receive life-saving treatment until it was too late, according to a June 26 report from theAsbury Park Press.The sailor died at a local hospital due to “acute pneumonia due to Streptococcus pyogenes,” a bacteria that the report says “is capable of causing multiorgan failure and cardiovascular collapse via toxic shock.“Kyle Mullen.Courtesy of Regina MullenThe Navy has not linked drug use to Kyle’s death, according to theNew York Times. However, performance-enhancing drugs were found inside a car Kyle shared with other trainees.Problems with drug use in the the SEAL program were highlighted in theTimesarticle, published Tuesday. In Kyle’s class, 40 candidates either tested positive for or admitted to using drugs after drug paraphernalia was found inside Kyle’s shared car.Regina told CBS News she had discussed performance-enhancing drugs with her son ahead of Hell Week. “He said it would help him, help them, recover faster and get them through,” she said, adding “It was the only way possible to get through.“At least 11 men had died during the Navy’s Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, theTimesreported. But Kyle appeared to be encouraging himself to push through the demanding process.On a piece of lined paper, the trainee wrote, “I’m not going to die,” and “If I do, I’d rather die here,” according to CBS News.And in the six months since Kyle’s death, Regina has remained vocal in her criticism of the SEALs and what she believes is a dangerous training program.“They killed him,” she told theTimes. “They say it’s training, but it’s torture. And then they didn’t even give them the proper medical care. They treat these guys worse than they are allowed to treat prisoners of war.”
Kyle Mullen.Photo: Monmouth Hawks
The mother of the U.S. Navy SEAL candidate who died during “Hell Week” is criticizing the training process that she believes contributed to her son’s death.Former college football player Kyle Mullendied at age 24in February after being hospitalized at the Sharp Coronado Hospital in San Diego following his completion of the notorious training session.In a new interview withCBS News, Regina Mullen said her 24-year-old son suffered heat stroke during the intense selection process in Southern California this February, and sustained a core temperature of 104.3 degrees Fahrenheit.The New Jersey mother compared the training that led toher son’s deathto a “sick hazing.““It’s not training,” she told the outlet. “I believe you need SEALs, but not this type of torture.“The Navy did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.Anthony Walker/AP/ShutterstockRegina was communicating with her son just hours before he died and became concerned after speaking with him on the phone, per CBS' report.“He could barely breathe and I was yelling at him,” the mom recalled. She then asked, “Are you in a hospital?” to which he replied, “No Ma, don’t worry,” and “I love you.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.Regina later sent her son a text message, telling him, “I need to know your condition. You did not sound good.” Kyle died within hours of their communications, she said.An autopsy revealed that Kyle died of pneumonia and did not receive life-saving treatment until it was too late, according to a June 26 report from theAsbury Park Press.The sailor died at a local hospital due to “acute pneumonia due to Streptococcus pyogenes,” a bacteria that the report says “is capable of causing multiorgan failure and cardiovascular collapse via toxic shock.“Kyle Mullen.Courtesy of Regina MullenThe Navy has not linked drug use to Kyle’s death, according to theNew York Times. However, performance-enhancing drugs were found inside a car Kyle shared with other trainees.Problems with drug use in the the SEAL program were highlighted in theTimesarticle, published Tuesday. In Kyle’s class, 40 candidates either tested positive for or admitted to using drugs after drug paraphernalia was found inside Kyle’s shared car.Regina told CBS News she had discussed performance-enhancing drugs with her son ahead of Hell Week. “He said it would help him, help them, recover faster and get them through,” she said, adding “It was the only way possible to get through.“At least 11 men had died during the Navy’s Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, theTimesreported. But Kyle appeared to be encouraging himself to push through the demanding process.On a piece of lined paper, the trainee wrote, “I’m not going to die,” and “If I do, I’d rather die here,” according to CBS News.And in the six months since Kyle’s death, Regina has remained vocal in her criticism of the SEALs and what she believes is a dangerous training program.“They killed him,” she told theTimes. “They say it’s training, but it’s torture. And then they didn’t even give them the proper medical care. They treat these guys worse than they are allowed to treat prisoners of war.”
The mother of the U.S. Navy SEAL candidate who died during “Hell Week” is criticizing the training process that she believes contributed to her son’s death.
Former college football player Kyle Mullendied at age 24in February after being hospitalized at the Sharp Coronado Hospital in San Diego following his completion of the notorious training session.
In a new interview withCBS News, Regina Mullen said her 24-year-old son suffered heat stroke during the intense selection process in Southern California this February, and sustained a core temperature of 104.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
The New Jersey mother compared the training that led toher son’s deathto a “sick hazing.”
“It’s not training,” she told the outlet. “I believe you need SEALs, but not this type of torture.”
The Navy did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Anthony Walker/AP/Shutterstock
Regina was communicating with her son just hours before he died and became concerned after speaking with him on the phone, per CBS' report.
“He could barely breathe and I was yelling at him,” the mom recalled. She then asked, “Are you in a hospital?” to which he replied, “No Ma, don’t worry,” and “I love you.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free weekly newsletterto get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.
Regina later sent her son a text message, telling him, “I need to know your condition. You did not sound good.” Kyle died within hours of their communications, she said.
An autopsy revealed that Kyle died of pneumonia and did not receive life-saving treatment until it was too late, according to a June 26 report from theAsbury Park Press.
The sailor died at a local hospital due to “acute pneumonia due to Streptococcus pyogenes,” a bacteria that the report says “is capable of causing multiorgan failure and cardiovascular collapse via toxic shock.”
Kyle Mullen.Courtesy of Regina Mullen
The Navy has not linked drug use to Kyle’s death, according to theNew York Times. However, performance-enhancing drugs were found inside a car Kyle shared with other trainees.
Problems with drug use in the the SEAL program were highlighted in theTimesarticle, published Tuesday. In Kyle’s class, 40 candidates either tested positive for or admitted to using drugs after drug paraphernalia was found inside Kyle’s shared car.
Regina told CBS News she had discussed performance-enhancing drugs with her son ahead of Hell Week. “He said it would help him, help them, recover faster and get them through,” she said, adding “It was the only way possible to get through.”
At least 11 men had died during the Navy’s Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training, theTimesreported. But Kyle appeared to be encouraging himself to push through the demanding process.
On a piece of lined paper, the trainee wrote, “I’m not going to die,” and “If I do, I’d rather die here,” according to CBS News.
And in the six months since Kyle’s death, Regina has remained vocal in her criticism of the SEALs and what she believes is a dangerous training program.
“They killed him,” she told theTimes. “They say it’s training, but it’s torture. And then they didn’t even give them the proper medical care. They treat these guys worse than they are allowed to treat prisoners of war.”
source: people.com
