VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Two FBI special agents died Friday in a training accident off the Virginia Beach coast.
Christopher Lorek and Special Agent Stephen Shaw were members of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team. That team is part of the Critical Incident Response Group based in Quantico.
The cause of the incident is under review, the FBI said.
Lorek, 41, joined the FBI in 1996, the agency said in a news release. He is survived by his wife and two daughters, ages 11 and 8.
Shaw, 40, joined the FBI in 2005. He is survived by his wife, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.
The state medical examiner's office said a cause of death would not be released before Monday morning.
According to the FBI website, the Hostage Rescue Team was created in 1983, and is a counterterrorist tactical team not overseen by the Department of Defense. The team has deployed to more than 850 incidents involving terrorism, violent crimes and foreign counter-intelligence.
"We mourn the loss of two brave and courageous men, who like all who serve on the Hostage Rescue Team--whether training or on an operational mission--accept the highest risk, each and every day, in their commitment to keep our nation safe," FBI Director Robert S. Mueller said in the statement. " Our hearts are with their wives, children, and other loved ones who feel their loss most deeply. And they will always be part of the FBI Family."
Copyright 2013 - The Virginian-Pilot
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
