A highly decorated Navy SEAL with Special Operations Command Pacific on Oahu died in a skydiving accident Saturday in Perris, Calif., near Riverside, while on leave, officials said.

Cmdr. Seth Stone, 41, twice received the Silver Star, the U.S. military’s third-highest military combat decoration for gallantry in action, including for a 2006 firefight in Iraq that led to the posthumous award of a Medal of Honor to a SEAL under his command. He also received the Bronze Star for valor.

“The Naval Special Warfare community is deeply saddened and mourns the tragic loss of one of our best,” Rear Adm. Tim Szymanski, the head of Naval Special Warfare Command, said in a release. “Seth’s absence will be sorely felt across the staff, command and the entire special operations community. NSW is a close-knit family, and our primary focus is to provide care and support for Cmdr. Stone’s family.”

Stone died after jumping out of a hot air balloon and his parachute failed to open properly, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. He most recently worked in operations at Special Operations Command Pacific at Camp H.M. Smith. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating, the Union-Tribune said.

“As a Navy SEAL, Cmdr. Stone epitomized the warrior ethos, risking his life on many occasions in combating our nation’s enemies,” Naval Special Warfare said. “He saved countless U.S. service members, and helped bring stability to embattled regions of the world. Outside the military, he was liked by everyone fortunate enough to cross his path. He made great friendships and found solace in pursuing his passion for surfing and other adventurous activities.”

Stone had multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was platoon commander for a SEAL element that came under small arms, rocket and hand grenade attack in Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept. 29, 2006.

Stone was on one rooftop. Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, an automatic weapons gunner in a combined SEAL and Iraqi army sniper overwatch, was on an adjacent roof.

An enemy fighter hurled a grenade that bounced off Monsoor’s chest and rolled across the roof.

“(Monsoor) immediately leapt to his feet and yelled ‘grenade!’ to alert his teammates of impending danger, but they could not evacuate the sniper hide (spot) in time to escape harm,” a summary of action states. “Without hesitation and showing no regard for his own life, he threw himself onto the grenade, smothering it to protect his teammates who were lying in close proximity. The grenade detonated as he came down on top of it, mortally wounding him.”

Monsoor saved the lives of two fellow SEALs. He received the Medal of Honor posthumously on April 8, 2008.

The Silver Star citation for Stone states: “Realizing the severity of the situation and the vulnerability of the embattled element, he led his team into the fray as they departed their overwatch position and moved into the street where they fought their way through heavy enemy fire toward the element in peril. Upon reaching the wounded SEALs, Lt. Stone took control and directed the evacuation of the wounded men. His decisive leadership, dedication to his men and bravery under fire directly resulted in the evacuation of wounded SEALs in dire need of crucial medical treatment.”

Special Operations Command Pacific is co-located with the higher Pacific Command at Camp Smith and is one of six theater special operations commands.

The command said in May that about 320 military and civilian personnel are part of the special operations headquarters on Oahu. About 20 percent of the troops are classified as actual special operators, the command said.