Navy finds bodies of 7 missing sailors

U. S. destroyer collides with Philippine- flagged merchant vessel

The U. S. Navy says it has found the bodies of some of the sailors who were missing after a naval destroyer was involved in a collision with a Philippine-flagged merchant vessel operating off the coast of Japan.

The Navy’s 7th Fleet said in a statement Saturday night that search and rescue crews located the missing sailor sailors in the flooded berthing compartments that were damaged during the collision.

The bodies were being transferred to Naval Hospital Yokosuka for identification, the statement said.

A total of seven sailors had been missing since Saturday’s crash off Japan’s coast.

The names of the sailors will be released after families are notived, the Navy said.

The statement didn’t say how many had been located.

The Navy had been searching for the missing sailors with the help of Japanese defense.

With the aid of tugboats, the badly damaged guided- missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald returned to its home port Yokosuka Naval Base, south of Tokyo, about 16 hours after the collision.

Crew members from the destroyer USS Dewey stabilized the flooding on the Fitzgerald, and American sailors and the Japanese Coast Guard continued to search for the missing sailors. U. S. aircraft as well as Japanese helicopters were dispatched to help assist the search effort.

“This has been a difficult day,” said Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander of the U. S. Navy’s 7th Fleet. “I am humbled by the bravery and tenacity of the Fitzgerald crew.”

The collision badly damaged Fitzgerald’s forward starboard side above and below the water line, causing significant damage and associated flooding to two berthing spaces, a machinery space, and the radio room.

It is still unclear how long it will take for search divers to gain access to the spaces. Navy officials said that divers immediately began inspecting the damage and developing a plan for repairs and inspection of the impacted spaces upon the destroyer’s return to Yokosuka.

At least three other sailors— including the ship’s captain, Cmdr. Bryce Benson — were injured and required medical evacuation, according to the Navy’s 7th Fleet. Benson was taken to the U. S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka.

The other two sailors suffered lacerations and bruises. Others injured were treated aboard the ship, the Navy said.

About 200 sailors were aboard the ship at the time of the collision.

On Saturday, President Trump posted a message on Twitter to express his concern for the impacted sailors and thank Japan for its assistance.

IORI SAGISAWA, AP The USS Fitzgerald’s collision caused significant damage above and below the water line on the forward starboard side.

JAPAN DEFENSE MINISTRY VIA AP An injured sailor is carried by U. S. military and Japanese maritime personnel upon his arrival at the U. S. Naval base in Japan. Two other servicemen were injured.