Posted on 04/17/2010 10:00:20 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Salvage crews have raised the stern or rear portion of a South Korean Navy ship that mysteriously sunk in the Yellow Sea on March 26th. The bodies of 36 crew members were also recovered.
Initial reports suggested a North Korean torpedo may have been responsible. But just as tensions between the two rivals were escalating, the cause of the incident became murkier. What is clear is some sort of explosion caused the Cheonan to split in two and then sink.
Many of the crew members were rescued by South Korean ships that rushed to the scene, but at least 44 sailors were trapped inside and killed.
If not a North Korean torpedo, among the possible causes are a sea mine left over from the 1950-53 Korean War, or some kind of accident aboard the Cheonan. The North Koreans have denied any role in sinking the ship.
Sailors from the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet have been on the scene assisting South Korea. In fact, approximately 750 U.S. service members are supporting salvage efforts.
South Korean contractors are raising the stern and bow, but American divers have been providing technical assistance as well as working with South Korean Navy divers on the debris area across approximately four miles of ocean floor.
The USNS Salvor has also been providing side scan sonar to sweep the debris field for objects that may be useful for the investigation.
The Salvor crew is also providing medical support with a decompression chamber onboard that is being used by both South Korean and U.S. divers. A U.S. Navy Diving Medical Officer, who specializes in diving medical issues, is also on the scene.
The government in Seoul has also requested that American, British, Australian, and Swedish experts participate in a joint investigation.
(Excerpt) Read more at liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com ...
I wish I were joking.
mysteriously sunk
maybe it was underwater volcano
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