Two U.S. Sailors Die After Fall From Sub

**IrishBrewZ28** · 12-30-2006, 10:25 AM

LONDON (Dec. 29) -- Rough seas swept four American sailors from the deck of a U.S. nuclear submarine off the coast of southwestern England on Friday, killing two of them, authorities said.

The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul was leaving Plymouth harbor accompanied by police boats in rough weather, police said. The four sailors were tied to the vessel with ropes - a routine precaution - but were knocked into the water by surging waves.

The police boats - small inflatable dinghies with outboard motors - picked up all four, said Baxter Provan, a spokesman for the Devon and Cornwall police.

Lt. Chris Servello, a spokesman for the U.S. 6th Fleet in Naples, Italy, said the four men were taken to a hospital in Plymouth, where two were pronounced dead. The two survivors were treated for minor injuries and discharged, he said. No one else was injured and all the other sailors have been accounted for.

Authorities received a request for help just before 1 p.m., near the large concrete breakwater barrier which protects Plymouth harbor. The British coast guards dispatched a search and rescue helicopter and a lifeboat to the scene, but police had already plucked the sailors from the water.

Sean Brooks, a coast guard officer, said that rescuers initially only saw two sailors tied to the vessel's hull with ropes.

"Because of the violent weather, they were frequently plunged below the waves," he said. "It then transpired that there were already two other guys in the water."

The two men were given CPR as they were carried ashore, but it was not enough to save them. Their names have been withheld pending notification of next-of-kin.

The Devon and Cornwall police are investigating the deaths together with the military.

Provan said the two survivors would probably not have been rescued as quickly had it not been for the police escort, which was assigned to the submarine because the higher security accorded to American vessels.

"You could say it was lucky they were there," he said.

Servello, the Navy spokesman, said the submarine had just completed a weeklong layover in Plymouth and was heading out to sea for routine duties.

Winds gusts reached 47 miles per hour and there were light rains, Britain's Meteorological Office said.

Provan, the police spokesman, said the submarine continued on its journey, but would be returning to Plymouth harbor on Saturday once the weather and tides become more favorable.

The nuclear-powered attack submarine, which is based in Norfolk, Va., has a crew of 110 and can reach speeds exceeding 30 miles an hour. Its weapons include torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Sixth Fleet is the operational arm of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and is primarily responsible for the Mediterranean and western and central Africa.