The submersible Scorpio Two was launched Tuesday for possibly the final time on its operation to survey the Japanese fishing vessel Ehime Maru, which was sunk by a U.S. submarine on Feb. 9.
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
A Navy spokesman said that the Scorpio's survey and that of another unmanned submersible robot, Deep Drone, will be completed as early as the end of this week. The two submersibles have surveyed the ship for almost 100 hours about nine miles south of Diamond Head.
Lt. Cmdr. Flex Plexico said that the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington will use the survey data to determine in the next two to three weeks whether to recommend that the Ehime Maru be raised from a depth of 2,000 feet.
Navy officials said that the majority of the debris on the ocean floor has been within 300 yards of the sunken vessel.
"What we've been finding is smaller items that may have floated away," Petty Officer Timothy Cerny said. "Rubber gloves, boots, we did find some rope."
Nine people have been missing since the ship sank minutes after it was hit by the surfacing USS Greeneville on Feb. 9.
"If they bring it up, it will be a true miracle," Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey Beaty said. "It would be a first of its kind. I know of no other salvage operation like this that was undertaken and successful."
The Navy offered its first up-close glimpse of the survey operation Tuesday, allowing a news media pool to observe the launching of the Scorpio from the C-Commando Military Sealift
Command ship.
Previous Stories:
- February 27, 2001: Japan: Bush Considering Salvage Of Sunken Ship
- February 26, 2001: Japanese Look At Sunken Ship
- February 26, 2001: Waddle Has 'Sincere Regret' About Collision
- February 25, 2001: Sub Investigation Could Widen
- February 22, 2001: Navy Court Of Inquiry Could Be Delayed
- February 20, 2001: Navy Likely To Raise Ehime Maru
- February 20, 2001: Sub Mishap Survivors Still Haunted
- February 19, 2001: Sucess Of Raising Ehime Maru 'Questionable'
- February 19, 2001: Robot Sub Hauled Out For Repairs
- February 19, 2001: Tennessee Town Supports Sub Crew
- February 16, 2001: Search Continues While NTSB Interviews Sub Crew
- February 15, 2001: Police Warn Of Sub Victim Fund Scam
- February 15, 2001: Japanese Outraged Over Sub Revelation
- February 15, 2001: Two Island Residents On Greeneville
- February 15, 2001: Help Identify The Civilians On The Sub
- February 14, 2001: Sub Captain Could Face Criminal Inquiry
- February 13, 2001: Ehime Maru Crew Describes Disaster
- February 12, 2001: Bush Offers Prayer For Sub Victims
- February 12, 2001: NTSB Begins Sub Collision Probe
- February 11, 2001: Ehime Maru Captain Speaks
- February 11, 2001: Sub Commander Reassigned As Search Continues
- February 10, 2001: Sub Collided During Emergency Maneuver
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