Crewman dies aboard U.S. submarine
Sun Jan 9, 2005 10:41 AM GMT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A crewman has died from injuries sustained after the U.S. nuclear submarine USS San Francisco ran aground Saturday off Guam in the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. Navy says.
Medical personnel rushed to the submarine continued to treat 23 other injured crewmen, some critically, suffering from broken bones, lacerations and bruises, a Navy spokesman said.
Lieut. J. G. Adam Clampitt, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said on Sunday the name of the sailor was being withheld for a 24-hour period following notification of the next of kin.
He said there was no damage to the nuclear reactor that powers the submarine nor the ship's weapons systems in the accident that occurred at noon on Saturday Guam time (2 a.m. British time) (9 p.m. EST on Friday).
Though the ship's hull is intact, external damage to it was being investigated, he said.
The submarine, which ran aground 350 miles (560 km) off Guam, a U.S. territory, remains on the surface and is continuing under escort toward its home port in Guam, where it is expected to arrive Monday afternoon (Guam time).
The cause of the accident is under investigation. The depth of the ocean at the point of the incident was not immediately known.
The submarine, commissioned in April, 1981, was carrying 137 crew members and was en route to a routine port visit in Brisbane, Australia, when it ran aground.
