Retired Coast Guard Crewman Brett Bonner Dies by Suicide at 43 as Brain-Injury Signs Go Unchecked
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 30
Retired Coast Guard Crewman Brett Bonner Dies by Suicide at 43 as Brain-Injury Signs Go Unchecked
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 30
Summary
Brett Bonner, a retired Coast Guard rescue boat crewman, shot himself in 2025 after years of worsening headaches, insomnia, memory loss and volatile behavior that deepened after his 2022 retirement at age 40.
His family and the report point to suspected brain injuries tied to 21 years on rescue boats, where crews show signs of trauma even as the Coast Guard is not systematically investigating the problem.
Bonner had saved hundreds of lives during his service, but his decline turned violent at home; relatives say he ranted, set fires and once knocked out his father-in-law with a punch.
The death left his family without answers or a note, and they buried him without a headstone, underscoring broader concerns about unseen neurological damage among elite rescue boat crews.