Sub crew have 'air for one day'
2005-08-05 16:13
Vladivostok - A Russian mini-submarine with seven sailors on board got caught on a fishing net and was stuck on Friday on the sea floor off Russia's Pacific coast as oxygen supplies dwindled, navy officials said.
Naval authorities were racing to figure out how to raise the vessel from a depth of some 190m, and a navy spokesperson said there was only enough air on the craft to last another day.
The US Navy was scrambling to send an unmanned underwater vehicle to help rescue efforts at Russia's request, and Britain and Japan also rushed to help.
However, it was unclear whether there was sufficient oxygen aboard the small vessel to keep the crew alive long enough for the US vehicle to reach the remote accident site.
"There is air remaining on the underwater apparatus for a day - one day," said Capt. Igor Dygalo. "The operation continues. We have a day, and intensive, active measures will be taken to rescue the AS-28 vessel and the people aboard."
Stemming
Dygalo and other officials had said earlier in the day that the mini-submarine had enough air to last for five days, with the confusion apparently stemming from the fact that there were seven people aboard the vessel, which normally carries a crew of three.
The vessel's propeller became entangled in a fishing net on Thursday, trapping the craft, Dygalo said.
The mini-submarine, which became disabled after it was launched from a ship in a combat training exercise, was too deep to allow the sailors to swim to the surface on their own or for divers to reach it, officials said.
There was contact with the sailors, who were not hurt, and authorities were preparing to send down a similar vessel to assess the situation, Pacific fleet spokesperson Captain Alexander Kosolapov said.
The AS-28, which looks like a small submarine, was built in 1989. It is about 13.5m long and 5.7m high and can dive to depths below 500m.
Lieutenant Ryan Perry, a Pacific Fleet public affairs officer, said their plan was to send two remotely operated Super Scorpio submersibles to Russia's far eastern Kamchatka peninsula.
"The exact time is being worked out right now," Perry said. "But sometime this morning, both of the remotely operated vehicles will be loaded on a C-5 Galaxy (aircraft)."
He noted that approximately 30 personnel from the Honolulu-based fleet would also be sent to operate the vehicles.
The incident is a chilling reminder of the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine in August 2000 that killed all 118 crew members on board following an emergency response effort widely criticised as sluggish. - AFP
- AP