Two crew die in submarine tragedy

BBC News Website ^ | 291206 | BBC News

[AngloSaxonChristian]

The nuclear-powered submarine is based at Norfolk, Virginia Two crew members of an American submarine have died after getting into trouble in Plymouth Sound. They were among four crewmen washed overboard while working on the outside casing of the USS Minneapolis-St Paul in poor weather conditions.

A rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose, a tug boat and a lifeboat were sent to the crew's aid while they were tied on to the side of the 110m (362ft) vessel.

The sailors were brought back to shore and taken by ambulance to hospital.

A spokesman for Brixham Coastguard said: "The four got into difficulties while on the outer casing of the submarine.

"They were unable to get back on board, they were tied on but getting battered about by the weather."

Two of the men appeared to be breathing with difficulty and were given CPR as they approached the shore.

They were taken to Derriford hospital in Plymouth.

The two other men were transferred to the sick bay at the HMS Drake.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman confirmed two of the crew were pronounced dead on Friday afternoon and the coroner was being informed.

A joint investigation by police, the Ministry of Defence and the military has begun.

The American nuclear-powered attack submarine, which is based in Norfolk, Virginia, was leaving the harbour in Plymouth at the time of the incident and has since continued on its journey.

The Ministry of Defence said it could not comment on what the vessel was doing in British waters.

However, submarines have to travel through the Sound to get to and from the city's Devonport Naval Base.

The submarine has a complement of 137 enlisted officers and crew and can reach speeds exceeding 25 knots (29mph). Its weapons include torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

[SMITTYYY]

There are NO hull techs on submarines.

[SMITTYYY]

Not true...the top of a 688 submarine is not but maybe 10-12 feet above the water line

[OCCASparky]

Five Westpacs and a radcon tour on the Proteus/Holland. Orote Point, I remember it well......so well I can't put it out of my mind.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Long slope rise there: Aft, there's no freeboard at all - the water crosses the hull between the aft escape /shore power truck and the rudder.

Fwd, there's a modest amount of freeboard, but how much depends on the speed of the boat. When I was standing bridge watch up top of the sail as OOD, at 3-6 knots there's nothing; it's like being tied up at the pier.

At 12-15 knots the bow wash would sweep the deck all the way back to the sail. At 15 knots, if you get a head wind or storms, we'd get waves over our head and back down the hatch onto the deck fwd of the control room.

[SmithL]

I read on another board that one of the sailors was the COB, ETCS(SS) Thomas Higgins, and the other was STS2(SS) Michael Holtz. They were part of the small-boat handling party for the departing Pilot and were washed overboard. They were wearing safety lines.

Rest in Peace, Shipmates!

[Robert A Cook PE]

That makes a little bit more sense = the pilot HAS to get off the sub, the sub HAS to leave port (sheltered waters) BEFORE the pilot is no longer needed aboard, somebody HAS to help the pilot back to the small boat (to get the pilot back to the tug/pilots craft) and that somebody HAS to be topside regardless of the weather.

(Or you give up entirely and scrub the mission and keep the pilot on board).

Also, it explains WHY the small boat and tug were immediately available to help the stranded/tied up crew once they lost their footing and were dangling by the lifelines.

Need better lifelines. Better cold weather swimmers suits that can take care of you if you are dangling - rather than hang you (upside down?) in the water drowning while tied on.

[cva66snipe]

I read on another board that one of the sailors was the COB, ETCS(SS) Thomas Higgins, and the other was STS2(SS) Michael Holtz. They were part of the small-boat handling party for the departing Pilot and were washed overboard. They were wearing safety lines. Rest in Peace, Shipmates!

With any speed at all and they were in the water unable to free themselves from the rope it would pull them under :>{ Line handling and boat maneuvers in rough seas is a very dangerous job be it a sub or a Utility Boat. By their rank a Second Class and a Senior Chief these guys were experienced sailors. Accidents happen in spite all you do and as careful as you can possibly be they happen on ships.

[MEG33]

May they rest in God's arms..and may those who mourn be comforted.

[Doohickey]

The STS2 might have been one of the ship's divers.

[BykrBayb]

May they rest in peace, and may their loved ones find comfort.

[Bottom_Gun]

that is tragic one good point of the old S girls is we had the fairwaters, and the mid sail hatches that we used to embark/disembark the pilots with. We hated small boat handling parties that put people on the deck just for theses reasons. The LA class has even less free board aft, then we did on the 585s so that can be a treacherous situation.

hopefully god has welcomed them into his arms

[SilentServiceCPO]

I don't understand why they wouldn't have just putted along and pulled everyone in prior to leaving the harbor

Being in an unfamiliar port, they probably kept the pilot on a little longer than a boat that was home ported there. Also looking at that harbor via Google Earth, it looks as if you have a few tricky turns just before you enter the sound and approach the breakwater. My guess is that they were disembarking the pilot, (which is almost always done from topside on 688's, not the fairwater planes) and then rolling the forward cleats. Even that little bit of work takes 5-10 minutes, plenty of time to get into trouble.