Two crew die in submarine tragedy

[acmejack]

Two crew members of an American submarine have died after falling overboard in Plymouth Sound.

They were among four crewmen who were working in poor weather on the outside casing of the USS Minneapolis-St Paul off the Devon coast.

A rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose, a tug boat and a lifeboat were sent to the men'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.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/6217471.stm

[BOSSHOG]

1. Fair Winds Shipmates, May you rest in peace

[Divernan]

2. This accident shouldn't have happened

The curved sided 362 foot vessel was under way out of Plymouth Harbour in rough winter waters when these four were sent outside. All four of them fell overboard. God knows how long it took for the ship to be stopped, so they were dragged through an ocean with a temp probably in the high 30's, being bounced off the side of the ship by rough surface conditions. Acute hypothermia would have occurred within minutes, and they wouldn't have been able to maintain the recommended position to minimize loss of body heat because of the rough weather. One would expect that any necessary work would have been done during the preceeding days when the ship was tied up at a dock.

Wonder if the ship got emergency orders to get under way. And if so, what was the emergency?

[acmejack]

3. I wonder if they were line-handlers.

The topside people on those boats really don't have a very decent deck to work on in the best of conditions, at least in the opinion of this old Destroyer Sailor. Add that to the fact that they use "Non-Quals", who are the least experienced personnel on board, it is an accident looking to happen.

[Divernan]

4. What I wonder is where was the NCO in charge?

They were tied onto the ship by lines, so why wasn't there someone to immediately sound an alarm and get help to pull those guys right back up on the deck? Why did the Brits have to send a helicopter, a tugboat and a lifeboat to get them out of the water? A board of inquiry/court martial sounds appropriate to me.

[Kenergy]

7. Good question

When I was on the boats, there would have been shipmates running up the control room ladder to
help out. I don't know what actually happened in this incident, but somebody fucked up royally.
If the sea state was such that the waves were breaking over the turtle deck, then the skipper shouldn't
have had men on deck. It's a judgment kinda thing, but it appears someone made a bad judgment.
I don't know what kinda mission today would have required the skipper to sail in that kind of weather.
What was so pressing that the 708 had to sail in that weather?

[Sirveri]

8. Skipper wouldn't get his bonus.

I heard they get fat bank for getting underway on time. Probably why they push the eng dep to move so hard before underway and then keep us up for a billion hours prior.

[AngryAmish]

5. Way to go, Bush!

[Sirveri]

6. While I'm not a bush fan, how exactly is this Bush's fault?

Subs go on routine patrols all the time, I'm not quite sure how your comment makes sense.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. It does not

but in today's world people just blame Pretzel boy for everything

[nealmhughes]

10. I served on the USS Kamehameha from September 1981 to June 1985. 2

From the shipyard in Portsmouth, NH thru a missle launch at Port Canaveral and then 3 deterrent patrols. The most dangerous time was topside, by far. I never had to handle lines, as I was the maneuvering watch reactor operator and was in Maneuvering from the call of "Station the Maneuvering Watch" to watch relief underway.

However, I did like to take a head break and "accidentally" scoot up the Missile Compt. hatch to watch us get underway. I was terrified watching it. I was terrified transferring from the Mike Boat at the tender to the dock at the Holy Loch. The few times I went up into the sail while we were on the surface, in the Irish Sea, I was terrified climbing up and down.

I had to go change out nitrogen bottles once in a blizzard at the shipyard. A real Nor'easter. The hull was frozen over at least 6" of ice and thicker. I slipped. I slid down the hull and caught myself in a jacob's ladder. I then had to climb down the scaffolding about 100 feet to the bottom of the ice filled drydock and then go up the spiral staircase to the top and get back onboard. I fell so many times going down the stairwell, I am amazed I am alive today. At the 4 am EDO tour, I told him what had happened, and by 7am there was no ice on the boat on in the drydock stairs. And the carpenters were putting up a safety rail at the fantail...

It is a very dangerous thing, being topside on a submarine. I feel for the lads, because one slip is all it takes. God grant you smooth sailing, boys.