Hot Topics:

Homepage > Honolulu News

Sucess Of Raising Ehime Maru 'Questionable'

Military Must Build Equipment To Raise Wreckage

comments

The Navy has not indicated one way or the other if it will attempt to raise the Japanese fishing vessel sunk by the USS Greeneville submarine from the ocean floor. Family members of those who went down with the ship have demanded that the Navy attempt a recovery. USS Greenville

Commissioned: Feb. 16, 1996

Los Angeles-class attack nuclear submarine

Homeported in Pearl Harbor in March 1997

Max crew: 130

Specs:

499 tons

190.8 feet long

30.5 feet wide

Max crew: 76

Underwater Video Ship

Adm. Fargo Statement

U.S. Navy Statement

First Radio Transmission

Questions Of Ehime Maru Family Members

Fund Set Up For Ehime Maru Victims

How A Sub Works
Search Area U.S.S Greeneville
Pacific Cmdr. Submarine Hawaii Navy

The Ehime Maru rests in 2003 feet of water. The video, released by the Navy, shows the fishing vessel sitting upright, about 1,000 yards from where the collision took place. The Ehime Maru was located late Friday night by Scorpio II, the Navy's robotic submersible. The victims' families want the boat raised, but at least one salvage operator said that bringing the boat to the surface could be extremely difficult. "A salvage operation of this difficulty, the chances of success are even questionable," salvage operator Rusty Nall said. Rusty Nall of American Marine Services has been in the marine salvage business for 30 years. He said that in comparison to other sunken vessels, the depth at which the Ehime Maru sits is staggering. Nall said that it's too deep for divers. He said that a robot would have to attach cables to the ship, and that in itself would be extremely difficult. "Even if you got the cables underneath the vessel you wouldn't necessarily have a successful operation," Nall said. "In the process of raising it to the surface, just a multitude of things could happen, the cables could shift, the vessel could sustain further damage. It can collapse, it could fold, it could bend. The cables could slip out. It's a very difficult operation." And Nall said that the equipment that would be necessary for such a salvage operation doesn't exist. He said that special equipment would have to be manufactured. He said that if the Navy does attempt to raise the Ehime Maru, the effort would take months. KITV4 News reporter Mary Zanakis asked Nall if he thought there could be pockets of air that survivors could still be alive in. "No, unfortunately, there are no survivors," Nall said. One of the robotic submarines investigating the sunken remains of the Ehime Maru broke down Sunday while in waters off Oahu. The Scorpio II took pictures of the Ehime Maru Saturday. Officials showed the video of the ship to the families of the nine missing crewmembers then released it to the media. A total of five families members of the victims flew back to Japan Sunday. Officials gave no time frame for how long the remaing family members would stay in Hawaii. The Navy released the list of civilian guests Saturday. It included a couple from Hawaii Kai KITV4 News reporter Keoki Kerr first reported about. Guest list: