Fishing Captain Files Claim After Possible Run-in With Submarine

New London Day ^ | 9/9/5 | JOE WOJTAS

[SmithL]

Oops

[Hoodlum91]

I think he needs a bigger boat.

[C210N]

gear became entangled with one of the two U.S. submarines...

How does he know they were U.S. Submarines? If he was fishing in Lake Nagin, this could of been one of the hundreds of elusive Yellow Submarines.

[YouPosting2Me]

"Give me one ping and one ping only!"

[burzum]

Sounds to me like he caught the big one! And then it got away.

[Mr. K]

I am glad to read he was being fairly reasonable about the event. I expect he should be compensated, and they should do right by him because he is not making a huge deal out of it and trying to get rich threatening lawsuits, etc...


Sometimes an accident is just an accident. I hope they don't give him the runaround because he sounds like a reasonable guy.

[Red Badger]

Maybe it was a Russian Sub.............

[Tallguy]

There have been instances of tug boats mysteriously & rapidly sinking that were towing barges. One of the theories behind these so-called "trippings" was that the tow cable got snagged by a sub. These sinkings were so fast in some instances they weren't able to get a distress call off.

[SmithL]

Submarine? What Submarine?

[i.l.e.]

This poor fisherman lost several thousand dollars of income but still has to pay his crew and other operating expenses. Govt employees simply can't relate to this type of fiscal vulnerability and see no need for compensation. It's the curse of the sole proprietor - the yeoman who is on his own and supports himself through his own efforts.

Too bad the Navy can't be bothered to do the right thing. What a bunch of boobs.

[Wombat101]

Just another example of a graduate of Canoe U wrecking his career and future prospects for pushing papers in a quiet corner of the Pentagon until he receives his pension.

Seriously, this is a skipper in deep doo-doo.

Then again, I've seen an aircraft carrier run aground on sand bars (USS Enterprise c. 1986 in Tokyo Bay, where I was an AO3 at the time), and that was above water with harbor pilots guiding the ship, so I can sympathize.

[i.l.e.]

May not have been a submarine according to Coast to Coast Am listeners....

[al_c]

Maybe a better idea would have been to relocate where there were no subs. Duh.

[burzum]

Why do you think the Navy isn't doing the right thing? It isn't inconceivable that people could make up stories. The Navy has an obligation to the American people to investigate the situation before they start handing out cash prizes to everyone who claims that a US submarine broke their fishing nets. The Navy also has an obligation to the American people to ensure that the crews are trained not to come in contact with these boats. The Navy will investigate. They take these incidents very seriously (especially with submarines).

--a former submariner

[StrangerInParadise]

It's Bush's fault. Or will be made to appear that way......

[1rudeboy]

Cool. If he had brought it to the surface, would he get to keep it?

[MineralMan]

"Chaplaski said that within an hour or so of the incident, one of the submarines radioed him and asked what his intentions were in the area. He said he responded that he was about to make some tows with his net, and the submarine gave him the OK. He said the submarine was at the surface at the time and that when he scanned the horizon he saw the periscope of another submarine off to the other side of his boat. "

---

There's the critical portion of this story. The subs knew he was fishing in the area and OKed that activity. They were aware, and snagged his net anyhow.

The Navy should pay, and probably will. If it was unsafe for the boat to continue fishing, the sub officer should have told him to stand to and fish elsewhere.

This claim will be paid.

[Sam Cree]

Wonder how it felt aboard the sub?

I agree with the poster who speculated it could have been a Russian, if they still can afford to have their subs so far from home.

[One Proud Dad]

Amazing that he could hear our subs talking to one another on the radio, the Russians tried for years and were unsuccessful. Guy is a super spy genius.

[One Proud Dad]

Cannot prove it was a sub, maybe it was a whale.