Sailor dies on submarine

[TacticalPeek]

Sailor dies on submarine

By Ryota Dei
Pacific Daily News; [e-mail]


A crewmember of the nuclear-powered submarine USS San Francisco died as a result of injuries sustained when the submarine ran aground while traveling about 350 miles south of Guam, the Navy stated.

The Navy assured the submarine remains safe and that it is expected to return to Guam this afternoon.

snip

"San Francisco was not trying to submerge. They were traveling underwater and ran into something," Consaul said. "It is still under investigation to determine exactly what occurred, but there is no damage to the reactor plant and it is operating normally."

She said there is no leak of radioactivity and there will be "no environmental effects whatsoever."


more
http://www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20050110/localnews/1847225.html

[theycanbiteme]

1. Hmmm.....

[leesa]

2. Whew! I feel so reassured. The Navy would never lie to us.

"She said there is no leak of radioactivity and there will be "no (reported)environmental effects whatsoever."

[RC]

3. As long as the don't open the hatches...

What did that sub hit? Didn't they know where they were? I was under the impression they could "see" where they were going. What was in front of them.

[jmowreader]

12. Nope, they navigate by charts

Sea charts are like maps that show things like the depth of the ocean at various points. Rent the movie "The Hunt for Red October" and watch the way they navigate--a guy with a chart, a compass (to tell which way the boat is going), a speedometer and a stopwatch can drive all over the ocean without needing a window or anything else.

This boat ran aground in the tsunami area--where the charts, thanks to the tsunami, are no longer valid. (Check back over the threads since the tsunami hit and you'll see reports of 4000-foot ocean depths now being 100-foot ocean depths in places.) Basically, they did everything they were supposed to be doing according to the data they had, but the data they had didn't match the bottom of the ocean.

I'm wondering why Submarine Force Pacific didn't bring everyone in the tsunami area to periscope depth and have them return to base until more accurate charts could be produced.

[Squatch]

14. Do you know where Guam is?

Next question:

Do you know where the tsunami occured?

[Zynx]

18. Very good question

Amazing a post can sound so logical and then end with a total blast of nonesense like that.

Guam in the Indian Ocean? :spank:

[Squatch]

20. Well, as soon as the person referred to "Red October" as

a place to research submarine operations, I had to shake my head.

Next thing you know, "Rambo 3" is a good reference to learn about special operations.

[Parche]

24. guam

And the Marianas trench is the deepest in the world
they must have hit something very strange, like another sub, whale,
or maybe a sunken WWII ship???

[RC]

17. I did watch Red October.

They knew what was around them, including navigating through narrow canons. With ocean currents, you need more than a chart, compass and a stop watch.

[Eloriel]

4. Eggggsackly

Now I'm worried about exactly why the sailor died. I really would like some full details (which I assume are not in the article I admittedly haven't read).

[lenidog]

7. It could be something as simple

as when they hit, he went flying and cracked is skull on something it isn't as if there is a lack of things on a sub that could crack your skull open if you hit them.

[pdxmom]

5. I certainly don't trust anything they say about this.

n/t

[Massacure]

13. Traveling at 25 miles an hour isn't fast enough to cause damage is it?

I would assume a submarine is built a hell of a lot stronger than a car.

[Squatch]

15. The USS San Francisco displaces 6,900 tons

that's a lot of momentum, even at 25 mph.

[Zynx]

19. And subs are sensitive to damage

Remember the thing is supposed to dive to very low depths, where there is a lot of pressure.

You do not want any imperfections in the hull. Period.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

6. i don't understand

i saw a photo of the sub today. it sure didn't look like it ran aground unless it was traveling upside-down.

[petronius]

22. The photo you saw

is probably the one of the boat entering port in Hawaii with a big lei draped over the front of the sail - it isn't a photo of the current damage...

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

23. thanks

i only saw it briefly on c-span this morning.

[flordehinojos]

8. sailors in those nuclear submarines live in such cramped quarters!

Enough to make any them phobic. I know this barely relates to the post, and in fact may not relate at all, only in my mind, where i made the connection between a friend of years ago whose son served in one of those nuclear submarines and had to be transferred out because of mental health issues due to his developing some sort of phobia precisely because of the tight/cramped quarters.

And yes, who knows what the purpose of that submarine was and what it was really doing...we are so accustomed now to having the Bu$coes lie about anything that just like the little boy who cried wolf, who can believe them even if they are telling the truth.

RIP brave soldier.

[Squatch]

9. USS San Francisco is a fast attack sub

not equipped with nuclear missiles. It's primary duties are patrol, escort duty, and ASW.

[lenidog]

10. and its in the middle of the Pacific

So there is much to do except train.

[Squatch]

11. Normal patrol patterns take them all over the deep ocean

what are you trying to insinuate?

It's a military boat performing military missions. If you think they're doing secret stuff out there...well, duh.

[0007]

16. I couldn't believe the Navy anymore than I would believe

Ken Lay on his innocence's of embezzlement of the stock holders of Enron.

[Florida_Geek]

21. One less Navy Sub Captain

You bend a sub you are toast. Retirement Time.

[NYC]

25. It didn't sound this serious when I read the report yesterday.

They had said there were injuries, but I hadn't gotten the impression that any of them were life threatening.