The body of a submarine captain who was swept into the sea during a drill two days ago was recovered early yesterday after an intensive search, military authorities said.
Chen Chi-tsung (陳紀宗), captain of the Hai Lung, was swept off the vessel’s conning tower by waves on Monday night.
His body was found in the sea 3.1 nautical miles (5.7km) southwest of Zuoying (左營) naval base near Kaohsiung at 7:45am, naval sources said.
PHOTO: CNA
“His body was intact, which helped to identify him,” Navy Command Headquarters Spokesman Sun Yi-cheng (孫宜成) said.
Chen’s body was taken to Zuoying Military Hospital, where military prosecutors Lin Chao-chan (林昭展) and Liao Jung-chi (廖容吉) examined it and issued a death certificate.
“He drowned. There was no obvious wound or cut on his body,” said Huang Hsin-chang (黃心章), spokesman for the southern branch of the Military Prosecutors’ Office.
Chen’s body was then taken to the morgue of a naval hospital, where a makeshift funeral hall was set up for his superiors and colleagues to pay their last respects.
“Military authorities deeply regret the captain’s tragic death,” Navy Commanding General Admiral Kao Kuang-chi (高廣圻) said after presiding over a memorial service in which Chen was accorded full military honors.
As the 47-year-old captain died while serving his country, Kao said the military will offer compensation to the bereaved family.
Chen had served in the Navy since 1988.
Kao said the Navy would review its standard operating procedures to prevent similar tragedies.
The Navy has learned a painful lesson from this tragedy and will improve safety measures, Sun said.
In future, all naval personnel working on the decks of warships or on the raised observation towers of submarines will be required to put on a life jacket and safety line hooked to the hull of the vessel, Sun said.
Rough weather was believed to have been a factor in Chen’s death, but the Navy is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, Sun said.
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