Marine, 21, is killed during tactical vehicle training accident in California - becoming FOURTH service member assigned to Base Camp Pendleton to die this year

  • Pfc. Christian Bautista, 21, died in an M1151 Advanced Armament Carrier at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California
  • Bautista was operating as the vehicle's turret gunner at about 7.15am Sunday
  • Two Marines from Bautista's vehicle attempted life-saving measures before paramedics arrived, but Bautista was pronounced dead at the scene
  • Bautista enlisted in the Marines in September 2018 and was assigned to the 1st TSB in Camp Pendleton, California in May 2019
  • He had been awarded with the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terror Service Medal
  • Incident is being investigated and is the fourth training death in 2019 from those assigned to the camp
  • Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica, 29, was killed in a rollover accident, April 13 
  • Lt. Conor McDowell, 24, was killed when his Light Armored Vehicle rolled May 29
  • Lance Cpl. Hans Sandoval-Pereyra, 21, was killed May 28 when the Humvee he was riding in went off the road in the Northern Territory of Australia

A 21-year-old marine has died in California while operating the turret gunner of an M1151 Advanced Armament Carrier, making him the fourth assigned to California's Camp Pendleton to die in training this year.

Exact details of what caused the death of Christian Bautista, 21, have not been made clear but it was reported he was doing tactical logistics support in a mountainous environment.

Two Marines from the victim's vehicle attempted to save his life after the 7.15am incident on Sunday at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport.

Pfc. Christian Bautista, 21, was in an M1151 Advanced Armament Carrier when he died 7.15am Sunday. Extreme Tactics and Training Solutions are seen conducting Rough Terrain Driving in Hawthorne in May 2007 file image

Pfc. Christian Bautista, 21, was in an M1151 Advanced Armament Carrier when he died 7.15am Sunday. Extreme Tactics and Training Solutions are seen conducting Rough Terrain Driving in Hawthorne in May 2007 file image

The fatal incident took place at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California

The fatal incident took place at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, California

In April, 1st Marine Raider Battalion Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica (left), 29, died in a rollover accident
On May 9, 1st Lt. Conor McDowell (center), 24, was killed
May 28, Lance Cpl. Hans Sandoval-Pereyra (right), 21, died after his Humvee went off the road in Australia

Died in training: In April, 1st Marine Raider Battalion Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica (left), 29, died in a rollover accident. On May 9, 1st Lt. Conor McDowell (center), 24, was killed. May 28, Lance Cpl. Hans Sandoval-Pereyra (right), 21, died after his Humvee went off the road in Australia

They tried to save his life until paramedics arrived however Bautista was pronounced dead at the scene.

Bautista was a vehicle operator from Cook County, Illinois who studied at the Motor Transportation School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

He enlisted in the Marines last September and was assigned to the 1st Transportation Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 1 in Camp Pendleton this May.

Bautista was awarded with the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terror Service Medal.

'Our primary concern is for the Marine we've lost, his family, friends, and fellow Marines and sailors,' Brigadier General Roberta L. Shea, commanding general of 1st Marine Logistics Group, said.

'We have them in our prayers and will exhaust all resources to aid them during this difficult time.'

The incident is currently under investigation.

Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Jenkins, 41, of Gainesville was killed in the accident
Antonio Garcia, 21, of Peoria, Arizona was apparently driving the tank at the time of the crash
Cpl. Thomas Cole Walker, 22, of Conneaut, Ohio also lost his life in the tragic accident

Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Jenkins, 41, of Gainesville, left, Antonio Garcia, 21, of Peoria, Arizona, (center) and Cpl. Thomas Cole Walker, 22, of Conneaut, Ohio (right)

It's the fourth death of a service member assigned to Camp Pendleton this year. 

In April, 1st Marine Raider Battalion Staff Sgt. Joshua Braica from Sacramento, 29, died in a rollover accident.

On May 9, 1st Lt. Conor McDowell from Washington DC, 24, was killed in training when his Light Armored Vehicle rolled over in high grass and rising terrain in his camp's Las Pulgas area.  

May 28, Lance Cpl. Hans Sandoval-Pereyra, a 21-year-old from Fairfax, Virginia died after his Humvee went off the road in the Northern Territory of Australia.  

More than a dozen service members have died this year.

Three Army soldiers in Ft Stewart, Georgia were killed during a training on Sunday.

They were carrying out their mission in darkness when their armored vehicle fell from a bridge and landed upside down in water below.

Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Jenkins, 41, of Gainesville, Florida; Cpl. Thomas Walker, 22, of Conneaut, Ohio; and Pfc. Antonio Garcia, 21, of Peoria, Arizona, all died. Three others were injured. 

Six soldiers were riding in a Bradley fighting vehicle tank, similar to one pictured. They were in a training area of the sprawling Army post near Savannah when it 'rolled off a bridge' (file pic)

Six soldiers were riding in a Bradley fighting vehicle tank, similar to one pictured. They were in a training area of the sprawling Army post near Savannah when it 'rolled off a bridge' (file pic)

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.