A second Midshipman from the United States Naval Academy is currently undergoing treatment at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore for a severe head injury suffered on Saturday.
MIDN Hans Loewen, 20, was admitted on Saturday with a brain injury sustained in a skateboarding accident on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Loewen is a 3rd Class Midshipman in the 7th Company from Hampstead, North Carolina. His sister, Zatha Loewen, also at the Academy, is a 1st Class Midshipman.
According to reports, he was skateboarding while on leave and fell beneath the rear wheel of a slow moving vehicle. According to Public Affairs Officer, CDRJohn Schofield, “The midshipman was on liberty and camping at Assateague State Park with other midshipmen when he sustained a severe injury while skateboarding. After initial treatment on the scene by local Emergency Medical Personnel, he was transported to University of Maryland Shock Trauma in Baltimore, MD.”
Loewen was wearing a helmet at the time. He was placed into a medically induced coma for treatment and will be evaluated by a team of neurosurgeons later this afternoon.
Understandably, the Brigade of Midshipmen are stinging from the recent death of MIDN 1st Class Max Allen in February, and yesterday’s death of MIDN 4th Class Will McKamey.
CDR Schofield said that Loewen’s family is with him at the hospital. “The Naval Academy’s primary concern at this moment is to provide the midshipman and his family all of the support they need during this very difficult time.”
There has been an outpouring of support for Loewen on Twitter and other social media platforms.
