Posted on: Saturday, January 8, 2005

Submariners hurt in accident at sea

Advertiser Staff

A U.S. attack submarine ran aground today while submerged south of Guam, damaging the hull and critically injuring one crewman, the Navy said.

The USS San Francisco, a Los Angelesiclass submarine, was making its way back to its home port in Guam after the accident about 350 miles south of Guam.

Several other crewmen suffered lesser injuries, the Navy said.

The impact breached the submarine's outer hull, damaging ballast tanks in its bow, Navy spokesman Jon Yoshishige said. But the vessel's inner hull remained intact, he said.

There were no reports of damage to the sub's nuclear reactor plant, which was operating normally, the Navy said.

Details on how or why the San Francisco ran aground were not available.

Military and Coast Guard aircraft were sent to watch over the submarine as it returned to Guam.