A sailor on watch aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln spotted a crewmate near the ship's railing — and moving with purpose. He shouted. He ran. He grabbed the sailor's arms and pulled them back onto the deck. Three other crew members came running at the sound of the commotion, Military Times reports.

His wife, Maria Rodriguez, later described the moment her husband recounted to her. "He said he hadn't felt adrenaline like that in his life," she said, "and he was just so thankful he was able to get to [the sailor] in time."

That intervention is one of multiple overboard attempts now being reported by families of sailors deployed aboard the Lincoln, an aircraft carrier that has spent more than 250 consecutive days at sea — a modern naval record — with no announced return date.

A Deployment Without End

The Lincoln left Naval Base San Diego for what families were told would be a seven-month deployment, Military Times reports. That timeline collapsed when the ship was redirected from the Pacific to the Middle East to support U.S. military operations against Iran. The mission has since been extended multiple times with no publicly announced homecoming.

The roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard have had virtually no time ashore. Forbes reports the crew has set foot on land only twice — once in Guam, where many were not allowed to disembark, and once in Oman, where those who could leave were confined to a secure compound.

Through it all, the Lincoln has logged 40 days of continuous combat operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area, Stars and Stripes reports.

Fear, Medical Hold, and Three Kids at Home

Annabelle Loma's husband attempted to jump overboard during the deployment. He is now on medical hold. Communication with him has been sparse, and what she does hear fills her with a different kind of dread.

"He thinks he'll get a dishonorable discharge," Loma told Military Times, "and just because he was burnt out, his 13-year career is ruined, just like that."

After the incident, Loma received one call from the ship's ombudsman. Nothing more has come from the Navy since. She is raising their three children alone, Raw Story reports — trying, as she put it, to "keep a happy face" for them.

Two Hundred Families Confront Navy Leadership

Around 200 family members packed a town hall in San Diego to face Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao and senior officials directly. The accounts were raw, CNN reports. One spouse wept as she told officials that her husband had messaged her that very day — saying he hoped he would not wake up the next morning.

Family members described moldy showers, broken toilets, weeks without hot water, water contamination, and meals rationed down to half a cup of rice and two tortillas, CNN reports. Rep. Mike Levin said the ship's own doctor had reportedly warned that sailors needed to reach port before people started losing their minds.

One family member told officials that sailors "constantly think about jumping off the ship just for relief," Forbes reports.

The Navy's Response — and Congress's Demands

The Navy told Newsweek that it has not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship. Officials say counselors, chaplains, and medical personnel remain available to the crew. Vice Adm. Joseph Cahill acknowledged the strain, saying, "We hear you loud and clear regarding the impact this has on families, on service members."

But Congress is not satisfied. Sen. Richard Blumenthal sent a formal letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding a full accounting — including the dates of each deployment extension, who authorized them, and what corrective action has been taken on habitability problems, Military Times reports. Sen. Ruben Gallego called for a bipartisan congressional delegation to visit the ship in person.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group is reportedly being readied to relieve the Lincoln. No timeline has been given, Newsweek reports, citing operational security. For the sailors still at sea — and the families still waiting — that answer is not enough.