The brothers of U.S. Navy Cmdr. L. John Regelbrugge III, 49, found his body Tuesday, making the Regelbrugge one of at least 24 people killed in the Washington state mudslide.
Regelbrugge's sister-in-law, Jackie Leighton of Vacaville, Calif., told the Seattle Times Regelbrugge was found next to his dog. His wife Kris is still missing:
“They were both home when the slide hit, but they haven’t found her yet.”
Regelbrugge was a California native who served in the Navy for 32 years. His father, John Regelbrugge Sr., told NBC News that his son spent eight of those years at Naval Station North Island in San Diego.
The Kitsap Sun reports Regelbrugge was deployed 13 times during his time in the Navy:
In 2006, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and served on the USS Abraham Lincoln from 2006 to 2009. He transferred to the Bremerton-based USS John C. Stennis in January 2012 and was promoted to commander in May 2012.
Regelbrugge is survived by five children, three sons and two daughters. Two of his sons are also in the Navy.
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