Retired Navy SEALs enter New York Harbor to honor fallen service members at annual swim
The annual NYC SEAL Swim brought retired Navy SEALs, veterans, first responders, and Gold Star families into the waters of New York Harbor on Saturday morning, with the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop. The 2026 beneficiary is Beyond the Brotherhood, a veteran-support nonprofit founded by retired SEAL commander Jimmy May.
Key takeaways
- The annual NYC SEAL Swim was held Saturday morning in New York Harbor, bringing together retired Navy SEALs, veterans, first responders, and Gold Star families with the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop.
- The 2026 beneficiary is Beyond the Brotherhood, a veteran-support nonprofit founded by retired SEAL commander Jimmy May that focuses on veteran transition and suicide prevention.
- May founded the nonprofit after losing four friends to suicide following his departure from the SEAL teams and feeling isolated without a support structure.
- Bill Brown, who founded the NYC SEAL Swim, chose the harbor because the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Empty Sky Memorial each hold distinct meaning tied to freedom, immigration, and the September 11, 2001 victims.
- The event combines miles of open-water swimming and physical challenges with tribute ceremonies honoring those who served and died.
The annual NYC SEAL Swim brought retired Navy SEALs, veterans, first responders, and Gold Star families into the waters of New York Harbor on Saturday morning, with the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop. The 2026 beneficiary is Beyond the Brotherhood, a veteran-support nonprofit founded by retired SEAL commander Jimmy May.
In focus is the organization's mission around veteran transition and suicide prevention. May, who competed Saturday alongside retired Navy SEALs Bill Brown and Brad Geary, said that after leaving the SEAL teams he lost four friends to suicide and felt isolated without a support structure. That experience became the foundation for Beyond the Brotherhood, which connects fellow SEALs with a renewed sense of community and purpose. May said the nonprofit has since received an "outpouring of support" from across the country.
Brown, who founded the NYC SEAL Swim, said the harbor setting carries deliberate meaning. The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Empty Sky Memorial are each visible from the water, and Brown said each represents something distinct: freedom and civil liberties, the diversity of those who came to the United States seeking a better life, and the Americans killed on September 11, 2001. "We love this country," Brown said.
Retired Navy SEAL Brad Geary, speaking to Fox News' Joey Jones, described the core mission plainly. "This is all about honoring our fallen," Geary said, "honoring our country, honoring God."
The swim combines miles of open-water swimming and physical challenges with tribute ceremonies for those who served and died. Gold Star families have become a constant presence, with many returning year after year to stand alongside the SEAL community. Cindy Dietz, whose son, Navy SEAL Danny Dietz, was killed in Afghanistan in 2005, has attended every year since Brown started the event. "To watch the team guys, to be with the team guys means so much to me," she said Saturday.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Filed by the newsroom of MarketPR on August 15, 2026. Source: foxnews.com. Indicative figures are not investment advice.