Posted on 08/07/2005 3:26:55 AM PDT by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide
Trapped Russian mini-sub, crew rescued in Pacific Sun Aug 7, 2005 10:08 AM BST By Oliver Bullough
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Rescuers cut free a Russian mini-submarine ensnared in deep-sea cables on Sunday, saving its seven crew with British help, after a three-day ordeal at the bottom of the Pacific with dwindling oxygen.
"Today was a very happy event. The intensive work to free our submarine at a depth of 200 metres brought results... Our comrades in the crew opened the hatch themselves," said Admiral Viktor Fyodorov, commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet.
"They behaved valiantly over these 76 hours under water, we heard no complaints, all we heard was that they were fine... It is worth living for these moments."
The seamen were put on a rescue ship to be taken to hospital in the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the eastern coast of the Pacific peninsula of Kamchatka for further observation.
The rescue of the AS-28, itself a rescue vehicle, was made possible by a British Scorpio underwater robot flown out to the scene, which severed the cables tangled around it.
Underwater footage aired on Russian television showed pieces of net wrapped tightly around the red-and-white-striped submarine, and the Scorpio pulling them away.
Officers had said they might only have Sunday left to rescue the men stuck on board the AS-28, which was snarled up in fishing nets and the antenna of an underwater listening station, because of their limited air supply.
"RUNNING OUT OF OXYGEN"
"We were conscious that the crew were running out of oxygen and that we could not afford any great delays in cutting them free," said the British Navy's Commander Jonty Powis, a specialist on submarine rescue who was monitoring the operation.
"We understand that the sailors are safe and well, and they had about 10 to 12 hours left in oxygen supply."
The accident, which occurred on Thursday but only came to light the following day, stirred up memories of a botched attempt to save a Russian submarine five years ago.
The nuclear-powered Kursk sank in the Barents Sea in August 2000 after two huge underwater explosions and all 118 crew perished in a drama that traumatised Russia.
President Vladimir Putin was criticised for failing to break off a holiday on the Black Sea while rescuers battled in Arctic waters to reach the doomed crew.
This time, Putin has once again stayed silent. But in a sign of Kremlin concern, he sent Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov to Kamchatka to take charge of the rescue operation, although he had not arrived at the scene before the AS-28 was rescued.
Russia's foreign ministry thanked Britain, the United States and Japan for their help. U.S. divers took part in the operation, while Japanese ships were sailing to the scene.
"Thanks to the jointly coordinated activities of Russia, British and American servicemen, this unique operation to save the crew was achieved," it said in a statement.
But opposition parties pledged to raise the affair in parliament, suggesting the government might not escape all political fall-out from the accident.
"This story with the submarine raises a whole series of questions, which have to be answered by the military prosecutors and the defence ministry," Rodina leader Dmitry Rogozin told Interfax news agency.
Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov said: "It is completely incomprehensible why the British have the necessary technology, but we don't. If we can't make effective rescue equipment ourselves, we need to buy it abroad."
© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.
I would not be a bit surprised to learn that the British sub was intentionallly chosen by the Russians to free the Russian crew. As bad as it looked for the British to save the Russians - it might have been too costly politically for Putin to have the Americans get the glory. I found it odd that it took so long for the US crews to get the Super Scorpio loaded and ready. If it were an American sub you can bet they would have been there in a hearbeat. I don't doubt there was some diplomatic wrangling going on over this.
Maybe conspiracy theory on my part but I would not put anything past Putin.
LMAOPIMP
"Bloomberg reports all rescue transport planes were refueled for return flights free of charge."
Oh, Boy. the "No Blood for Oil" crowd won't be liking THAT! ;)
(Thanks Goodness they were saved!)
Who better knows the sea than an island race ?
The utter corruption left behind by Yeltsin will take decades to eradicate. The Russian economy is limping along, just barely.
Business as usual: US/Brits maintaining civility and civilization. And how many times have we sent earthquake relief to Iran and other Muslim countries? The "Great Satan" at work here again, risking life and limb to aid a onetime enemy.
I really am touched, tho, that we are such a decent people. And, hey, the Ruskies gave a free tank of gas for the return trip ;)
All sailors look out after each other, submariners especially so. They have my deepest respect (last naval man in our family was with Dewey at Manila Bay.)
Russia Stats (World Bank)
Interesting comparison of GNI (Atlas Method) and GDP (PPP). Unfortunately this comparison is for 2001, but things haven't changed much since then.
Comparison of per capita GNI (GDP) [Atlas Method vs. PPP]
I cannot possibly imagine how Russia's PPP GDP/capita has been adjusted to be equal to Mexico's, when Moscow is one of the world's most expensive cities. I think someone is cooking the numbers.
The Real per capita GDP of Mexico is higher than that of Russia.
not to be misunderstood .. "they" was a reference to the Russian government. I'm grateful they didn't waste valuable time in this instance, as they did in the Kirsk (?) some years ago.
God bless the submariners, US/UK/Russian .. the Russian submariners are just men doing a dangerous job, men who have families, whose lives I am just thrilled were saved.
Terrific news! I was afraid they were goners.
However... REUTERS is reporting it? How can we know it really happened? If REUTERS reported that I was a man, I'd have to double-check,just to be sure.
Dan
Actually, I think this is a good sign that the Russian government was more willing to work with us and the Brits to rescue the sailors than they were previously . . . hopefully there won't be any bad repercussions security-wise so we can continue to save life at sea whenever possible . . .
Just shows what 70 years of Communist rule can do to a country.
He still doesn't get it.
Russia is Mexico with Nukes
My only disaggreement with you on this is that Russia has a fast negative population trend and Mexico has a fast postive population growth.
I understand that being in a 40 degree capsule for two days might leave one feeling a little wan, however, these guys are noticably grey. Genetics? Melamine? Lack of vitamin A?
The reason is you little commy is that you and your country are too poor to ever own expensive toys.
Russia will do fine in the future, if they can lick corruption and petty bureaucracy. Putin got it right with the flat tax, now they just need to have a good legal framework and Russia can take off.
Another statistic that makes one scratch his head is the fact that according to our own CIA, some 25% of Russians live below the poverty line, as compared to some 40% of Mexicans.
I've visited both countries several times, and Mexico seemed much poorer... although I have not been through many of the poorest parts of Russia.
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