Missing sailors found dead inside Navy destroyer that collided with container ship
LUIS MARTINEZ
The seven sailors that were missing following a collision between a U.S. Navy ship and a merchant ship have been found dead, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.
The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine container ship off the coast of Japan in the early hours of Saturday morning local time, according to the Navy's 7th Fleet. The Fitzgerald was operating about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, when it hit the container ship at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time.
Initially, five sailors were reported injured and seven sailors were reported missing, though the remains of those sailors have since been found.
"As search and rescue crews gained access to the spaces that were damaged during the collision this morning, the missing sailors were located in the flooded berthing compartments," the 7th Fleet said in a statement this evening. "They are currently being transferred to Naval Hospital Yokosuka where they will be identified."
The statement continues: "The families are being notified and being provided the support they need during this difficult time. The names of the sailors will be released after all notifications are made."
When reached for comment, Cmdr. Ronald Flanders of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan said the focus right now is on the families.
"An investigation will no doubt be conducted in weeks and moths ahead..." he said. "We've got people weeping on the pier right now."
Vice Adm. Joseph P. Aucoin of the 7th fleet said at a press conference Sunday that the Navy has ceased its search and rescue operation. While a U.S. official tells ABC News that seven bodies were found, Aucoin declined to confirm the number of fatalities, except to say that there were "a number" of missing personnel. He said he was doing so out of respect for the families.
Earlier, the 7th Fleet said the U.S. ship sustained damage on its starboard side and experienced flooding in some spaces.
At the press conference, Aucoin described the damage as "extensive," adding that there was a big puncture and gash below the waterline on one side of the ship. He also said three compartments were severely damaged.
"The ship is salvageable ... [it] will require some significant repair," Aucoin said. "You will see the USS Fitzgerald back ... It will take months, hopefully under a year."
Four sailors and the ship's commanding officer were medically evacuated by a Japanese coast guard helicopter, according to Cmdr. Richard Gourley of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan. The 7th Fleet has since confirmed the sailors are in stable condition and are being treated for lacerations and bruises at the Naval Hospital Yokosuka.
"U.S. and Japanese support from the Navy, Maritime Self-Defense Force and Coast Guard are in the area to ensure that the sailors on USS Fitzgerald have the resources they need to stabilize their ship," said Adm. John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, in an earlier statement.
"As more information is learned, we will be sure to share it with the Fitzgerald families and when appropriate the public," he added. "Thank you for your well wishes and messages of concern. All of our thoughts and prayers are with the Fitzgerald crew and their families."
"Right now we are focused on two things: the safety of the ship and the well-being of the sailors," said Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. "We thank our Japanese partners for their assistance."
An information center with available counselors has been set up at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka.
===========
Aerial images show heavy
damage to the starboard side of the USS Fitzgerald, after the Navy
destroyer collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan.
TOKYO, Japan --
Seven Navy sailors were
missing and at least two, including the captain, were injured after a
U.S. destroyer collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan
before dawn Saturday, the U.S. Navy and Japanese coast guard reported.
Footage
from the Japanese TV network NHK showed heavy damage to the mid-right
side of the USS Fitzgerald and a person in a stretcher being lifted to a
helicopter.
The Navy's 7th Fleet said on its Facebook page
that the number of injuries is still being determined. The Fitzgerald
has limited propulsion after suffering damage on the starboard side
below the water line. A U.S. defense official said there is flooding in
three compartments.
The Japan coast guard said it received an
emergency call from a Philippine-registered container ship ACX Crystal
around 2:20 a.m. (1720 GMT Friday) that it had collided with the USS
Fitzgerald southwest of Yokusuka, Japan.
Coast guard official
Takeshi Aikawa said seven Navy crew members are unaccounted for, and one
had a head injury. Further details of his or her condition were not
known.
Relatives of crew members were awaiting news of their loved ones.
"Of course we're nervous and scared and just praying," Rita Schrimsher said by telephone from Athens, Alabama.
Her
grandson Jackson Schrimsher is a 23-year-old sailor aboard the
Fitzgerald. She said she last communicated with him via Facebook
messenger on Wednesday.
Aikawa said the ship was partially
flooded because of damage. So far no damage or injuries have been
reported on the container ship, he said. NHK reported that the merchant
ship had scratches on the left side of its bow.
The Philippine ship is 29,060 tons and is 222 meters (730 feet) long, the coast guard said.
The
Navy said that the collision occurred 56 nautical miles (103
kilometers) southwest of Yokosuka, a city south of Tokyo that is home to
the 7th Fleet.
The fleet said the USS Dewey, medical assistance
and two Navy tugs were being dispatched as quickly as possible and that
naval aircraft were being readied to help. The Japan coast guard
dispatched five patrol ships and an aircraft carrying medics to the site
for search and rescue operations.
The Navy's Pacific Fleet said
the extent of injuries and damage to the Fitzgerald are being
determined, and the incident is under investigation. ======================
The Latest: Container ship operator says 20-member crew safe
YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) — The Latest on a U.S. Navy ship collision (all times local):
4:15 p.m.
Nippon Yusen K.K., the Japanese shipping company that oper
YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) — The Latest on a U.S. Navy ship collision (all times local):4:15 p.m.
Nippon
Yusen K.K., the Japanese shipping company that operates the container
ship that collided with a U.S. Navy destroyer, says its 20-member crew
all safe.
The nighttime collision off Japan left seven U.S. Navy
sailors from USS Fitzgerald missing. Three, including the captain, have
been injured.
Nippon Yusen says in a statement it is collaborating
with the ship owner and fully cooperating with the investigation by the
coast guard. The 29,060-ton ship, four times the size of the destroyer,
is Philippine-flagged and all the crew are Filipinos.
Japan's
Kyodo News service says the Japanese coast guard is investigating the
incident with the U.S. Navy and plans to question the crew members of
the ACX Crystal.
The cause of the collision wasn't immediately clear.
Aerial
footage shows damage to a US Navy destroyer that collided with a
merchant ship off the coast of Japan. The US military says there have
been injuries. (June 16)
___
2:30 p.m.
The
U.S. Navy says flooding has been stabilized on the USS Fitzgerald and
sailors from the USS Dewey have come aboard to assist after the
destroyer was damaged in an overnight collision that left seven crew
missing.
The Navy's 7th Fleet reported the developments in an
update on the stricken ship that was nearing the port of Yokosuka in
Japan. It was using its own limited propulsion after suffering
significant damage on the right side below the water line and a U.S.
defense official said there was flooding in three compartments.
It
wasn't clear yet what caused the nighttime collision between the
destroyer and a container ship four times its size. Three crew have been
injured and airlifted to shore, including the captain, who was reported
in stable condition.
The search for the seven sailors is continuing Saturday.
___
1:20 p.m.
An
Alabama woman says her grandson contacted her from the USS Fitzgerald
to say he's OK after a nighttime collision off Japan left seven crew
members missing and three injured.
Rita Schrimsher of Athens,
Alabama, tweeted: "Just heard the sweetest voice and saw a wonderful
face. He's okay. Thank you all for the prayers."
She says she
spoke on Facetime with her 23-year-old grandson Jackson Schrimsher. She
says: "It could have been worse so we're grateful."
The search
continues for the seven sailors missing. Japan's coast guard says they
were thought to have been thrown into the sea or possibly trapped inside
damaged sections of the destroyer.
___
10:30 a.m.
The
U.S. Navy 7th Fleet says two crew members, including the captain, have
been evacuated from a Navy destroyer that collided with a merchant ship
off the coast of Japan. Seven sailors are missing.
The Navy said
in a statement that Cmdr. Bryce Benson, the ship's commanding officer,
was evacuated to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, home base of the
7th Fleet. It says he was in stable condition.
Details on the second injured person being evacuated were not immediately available.
Navy
chief Adm. John Richardson says Navy, Japanese maritime defense vessels
and the Japanese coast guard are working to stabilize the badly damaged
ship.
___
This item clarifies that Richardson is the head of Navy.
___
8:45 a.m.
Relatives
of crew members of a U.S. Navy ship that collided with a merchant ship
off Japan are awaiting news of their loved ones.
Rita Schrimsher of Athens, Alabama, said "of course we're nervous and scared and just praying."
Her
grandson Jackson Schrimsher is a 23-year-old sailor aboard the USS
Fitzgerald. She said she last communicated with him via Facebook
messenger on Wednesday.
Seven crew members are unaccounted for
after the U.S. destroyer collided with a Philippine-flagged merchant
ship early Saturday morning. At least one was injured.
___
8:30 a.m.
The
U.S. Navy says the USS Fitzgerald suffered damage below the water line
on its starboard side after it collided with a Philippine-flagged
merchant ship.
It says the destroyer's propulsion is limited.
The
Navy says the USS Dewey, medical assistance and two Navy tugs are being
dispatched as quickly as possible. Naval aircraft are also being
readied to help.
The Japan Coast Guard has confirmed that seven
crew members are missing and one is injured. The injured sailor had a
head injury, but the details of his or her condition were unknown.
___
8 a.m.
The
Japan Coast Guard has confirmed that seven crew members of a U.S. Navy
destroyer are missing after a collision with a Philippine-flagged
merchant ship off the coast of Japan.
Japan Coast Guard official Takeshi Aikawa said the USS Fitzgerald reports that seven are unaccounted for and one is injured.
The injured sailor had a head injury, but details of his or her condition were unknown.
Footage
from Japanese broadcaster NHK showed a person in a stretcher being
lifted from the deck to a Japan Coast Guard helicopter.
Aikawa said the U.S. ship is partially flooded because of damage and not capable of moving by itself.
He added that so far no damage or injuries to the container ship or its crew members have been reported.
The coast guard dispatched five patrol ships and an aircraft carrying medics to the site for search and rescue operations.
___
7:45 a.m.
Japanese
broadcaster NHK reports that one person is injured and seven others
unaccounted on a U.S. Navy ship after it collided with a merchant vessel
in waters off Japan.
NHK footage on Saturday morning showed a
person in a stretcher being taken up to a helicopter from the deck of
the USS Fitzgerald.
The Navy said that the USS Fitzgerald collided
with a merchant ship 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan. A
U.S. defense official said there is flooding in three compartments of
the Fitzgerald.
The U.S. 7th Fleet says on its Facebook page that
it is working with the Japanese Coast Guard to conduct a medical
evacuation for a sailor by helicopter, and that there are currently no
reports of deaths.
___
7:15 a.m.
A U.S. Navy destroyer
has collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan, the U.S.
military said, and there have been injuries.
The U.S. 7th Fleet
said on its Facebook page that the collision was with Philippine-flagged
merchant vessel ACX Crystal. It says the Japanese Coast Guard is on
scene.
Live footage shot from a helicopter Saturday morning by
Japanese broadcaster NHK showed heavy damage to the mid-right side of
the Navy ship, which appeared to be stationary in the water. People were
standing on various parts of the deck.
The Navy said that the USS
Fitzgerald collided with a merchant ship 56 nautical miles southwest of
Yokosuka, Japan. A U.S. defense official said there is flooding in
three compartments of the Fitzgerald, and there were injuries.
___
7 a.m.
A
U.S. Navy destroyer has collided with a merchant ship off the coast of
Japan, the U.S. military said, and there have been injuries.
In a
brief written statement, the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii said the Navy
has requested assistance from the Japanese Coast Guard.
Live
footage shot from a helicopter Saturday morning by Japanese broadcaster
NHK showed heavy damage to the mid-right side of the Navy ship, which
appeared to be stationary in the water. People were standing on various
parts of the deck.
The Navy said that the USS Fitzgerald collided
with a merchant ship 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, a
city south of Tokyo that is home to a U.S. Naval base. A U.S. defense
official said there is flooding in three compartments of the Fitzgerald,
and there were injuries.
The Pacific Fleet said the extent of
injuries and damage to the Fitzgerald are "being determined," and the
incident is under investigation.
In this photo released by Japan's Defense Ministry, an injured USS
Fitzgerald personnel is carried by U.S. military personnel, left, and
Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force members upon arriving to the U.S.
Naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, after the U.S. destroyer
collided with the Philippine-registered container ship ACX Crystal in
the waters off the Izu Peninsula Saturday, June 17, 2017. Seven Navy
sailors were missing and at least two, including the captain, were
injured after the collision off the coast of Japan before dawn Saturday,
the U.S. Navy and Japanese coast guard reported. (Japan's Defense
Ministry via AP)
U.S. military personnel prepare to transfer an injured on board USS
Fitzgerald, off Izu Peninsula, Japan, after the Navy destroyer collided
with a merchant ship, Saturday, June 17, 2017. The Japan coast guard
said it received an emergency call from a Philippine-registered
container ship ACX Crystal early Saturday that it had collided with the
Fitzgerald southwest of Yokusuka, Japan. (Japan's Defense Ministry via
AP)
The damage of the right side of the USS Fitzgerald is seen off Shimoda,
Shizuoka prefecture, Japan, after the Navy destroyer collided with a
merchant ship, Saturday, June 17, 2017. The U.S. Navy says the USS
Fitzgerald suffered damage below the water line on its starboard side
after it collided with a Philippine-flagged merchant ship. (Iori
Sagisawa/Kyodo News via AP)
The damage of Philippine-registered container ship ACX Crystal is seen
off Izu Oshima, Japan, after it collided with the USS Fitzgerald,
Saturday, June 17, 2017. The Japan coast guard said it received an
emergency call from a Philippine-registered container ship ACX Crystal
early Saturday that it had collided with the USS Fitzgerald. (Iori
Sagisawa/Kyodo News via AP)
CORRECTS DATE - The USS Fitzgerald is seen off Shimoda, Shizuoka
prefecture, Japan, after the Navy destroyer collided with a merchant
ship, Saturday, June 17, 2017. Seven crew members are missing and one
injured after the U.S. Navy destroyer collided early Saturday morning
with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan, the country's coast guard
reported. (Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo News via AP)
CORRECTS DATE - The Philippine-registered container ship ACX Crystal is
seen off Izu Oshima, Japan, after it collided with the USS Fitzgerald
southwest of Yokusuka, Japan, Saturday, June 17, 2017. The U.S. Navy
says the USS Fitzgerald suffered damage below the water line on its
starboard side after it collided with the Philippine-flagged merchant
ship. (Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo News via AP)
CORRECTS DATE - The USS Fitzgerald is seen off Shimoda, Shizuoka
prefecture, Japan, after the Navy destroyer collided with a merchant
ship, Saturday, June 17, 2017. The Japan Coast Guard said it received an
emergency call from a Philippine-registered container ship ACX Crystal
early Saturday that it had collided with the USS Fitzgerald southwest of
Yokusuka, Japan. (Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo News via AP)
CORRECTS DATE - The damage of Philippine-registered container ship ACX
Crystal is seen off Izu Oshima, Japan, after it had collided with the
USS Fitzgerald southwest of Yokusuka, Japan, Saturday, June 17, 2017.
The U.S. Navy says the USS Fitzgerald suffered damage below the water
line on its starboard side after it collided with the Philippine-flagged
merchant ship. (Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo News via AP)
CORRECTS DATE - The USS Fitzgerald is seen off Shimoda, Shizuoka
prefecture, Japan, after the Navy destroyer collided with a merchant
ship, Saturday, June 17, 2017. The U.S. Navy says the USS Fitzgerald
suffered damage below the water line on its starboard side after it
collided with a Philippine-flagged merchant ship. (Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo
News via AP)
CORRECTS DATE - The damage of the right side of the USS Fitzgerald is
seen off Shimoda, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan, after the Navy destroyer
collided with a merchant ship, Saturday, June 17, 2017. The U.S. Navy
says the USS Fitzgerald suffered damage below the water line on its
starboard side after it collided with a Philippine-flagged merchant
ship. (Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo News via AP)
The damage of the right side of the USS Fitzgerald is seen off Shimoda,
Shizuoka prefecture, Japan, after the Navy destroyer collided with a
merchant ship, Saturday, June 17, 2017. Seven Navy sailors are missing
and one was injured after a U.S. destroyer collided early Saturday
morning with the Philippine-registered container ship off the coast of
Japan, the country's coast guard reported. (Iori Sagisawa/Kyodo News via
AP)
Map locates Yokosuka. Japan; 1c x 3 inches; 46.5 mm x 76 mm;
In this March 7, 2017, the guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG
62) launches a missile from the aft missile deck during Multisail 17, a
training exercise designed to improve interoperability between the U.S.
and Japanese forces, in the Philippine Sea. The U.S. Navy destroyer has
collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan, the U.S. military
said, and there have been injuries. In a brief written statement, the
U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii said the Navy has requested assistance from
the Japanese Coast Guard. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class
William McCann/U.S. Navy via AP)
In this June 1, 2017 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS
Fitzgerald, foreground, (DDG 62) makes its way with the Carl Vinson
Carrier Strike Group, through the Sea of Japan. The U.S. military said
the Navy destroyer collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan
and said there have been injuries. In a brief written statement, U.S.
Pacific Fleet in Hawaii said the Navy has requested assistance from the
Japanese Coast Guard. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kelsey L.
Adams/US Navy via AP)
In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, the Arleigh Burke-class
guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) pulls into Dry Dock 5
in Yokosuka, Japan on June 15, 2016. The U.S. military says the Navy
destroyer collided with a merchant ship off the coast of Japan and says
there have been injuries. In a brief written statement, U.S. Pacific
Fleet in Hawaii said the Navy has requested assistance from the Japanese
Coast Guard. It said June 16. that the USS Fitzgerald collided with a
merchant ship 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka. (Patrick
Dionne/U.S. Navy via AP)
In this Aug. 20, 2013 photo, the guided-missile destroyer USS
Fitzgerald (DDG 62) makes its way through the Pacific Ocean. The U.S.
military said the Navy destroyer collided with a merchant ship off the
coast of Japan and said there have been injuries. In a brief written
statement, U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii said the Navy has requested
assistance from the Japanese Coast Guard. (Mass Communication Specialist
3rd Class Paul Kelly/U.S. Navy via AP)
Aerial footage shows damage to a US Navy destroyer that collided with a
merchant ship off the coast of Japan. The US military says there have
been injuries. (June 16)
Source:
http://www.cetusnews.com/views/rkgBYjLGQZ?cat=news&title=The-Latest%3A-Container-ship-operator-says-20-member-crew-safe
Somers Rural Fire Department confirmed 32 people were transported to area hospitals including Kalispell Regional Medical Center and hospitals in Ronan, Polson, Whitefish and Missoula.
Somers fire says agencies responded from all over the Mission and Flathead valley's including but not limited to Rollins Fire Department, Lake County Sheriff's Office, Alert ambulance services, Lakeside Qru Ambulance, Evergreen Ambulance and emergency services from Big Fork, West Valley, Smith Valley, Polson and Ronan.
