USA TODAY International Edition
Remains of missing sailors from USS McCain located
Oil tanker involved is three times the size of missile destroyer
Navy and Marine Corps divers on Tuesday located the remains of some of the 10 sailors missing from the USS John S. McCain following its collision with an oil tanker off Malaysia, the Navy said Tuesday.
Divers investigating damage to the ship were probing sealed compartments and “were able to locate some remains in those sealed compartments during their search,” said Admiral Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Swift said the Malaysian navy had reported locating other potential remains and was working to confirm the identities. Naval ships from Singapore and Malaysia were aiding the U.S. Navy in a massive search that was continuing Tuesday, Swift said.
The McCain, a guided missile destroyer, was about five miles off the coast of Malaysia and headed for routine port visit to Singapore when it collided Monday with the Liberian-flagged Alnic MC, a 600foot oil and chemical tanker. The Navy said the ship suffered “significant damage” to its hull, flooding crew berths, machinery and communications rooms.
Five U.S. sailors were injured in the crash. Swift said four had been immediately flown by Singapore navy helicopters to a Singapore hospital, and the fifth was hospitalized when the ship reached Singapore. The McCain remains docked in Singapore for repairs.
“I visited with those sailors, and they are doing well,” Swift said.
The search for the missing sailors was continuing east of Singapore where the collision occurred, Swift said. Meanwhile, divers were preparing to access compartments sealed in the aftermath of the collision as the ship’s sailors struggled to sail the battered ship into port.
“I also visited with the crew today, and they are tough and they are resilient,” Swift said. “It is clear their damage control efforts saved the ship and saved lives.”
Swift said the investigation into the cause of the collision was continuing. The Alnic sustained some damage, but no injuries to crew were reported, the Singapore government said. The ship was carrying fuel oil, but no spill was reported.
The collision came two months after USS Fitzgerald was badly damaged in a collision on June 17 that killed seven sailors off the coast of Japan. Swift also referenced to lesser incidents involving Navy vessels in recent months.
“While each of these four incidents is unique, they cannot be viewed in isolation,” Swift said.
The Navy’s top officer on Monday ordered a pause in operations around the world.
Adm. John Richardson, the Chief of Naval Operations, said the pause was ordered to allow commanders to take immediate action to keep sailors and ships safe
Richardson said the latest collision involving the USS John S. McCain had left him “devastated and heartbroken.” Richardson also ordered a Navy-wide review to get at the “root causes” of the problems.
The ship is named after John S. McCain Sr. and John S. McCain Jr., Navy admirals who were the grandfather and father, respectively, of Sen. John McCain, RArizona.