The navy said yesterday it is extending its search for three submariners by another 72 hours after a large wave swept them off overboard on Thursday during a training mission.
The navy said it would not give up on any chances and is continuing dispatching helicopters and ships to look for master chief petty officer surnamed Lin (林) and two petty officers surnamed Yen (顏) and Chang (張).
The three submariners were serving on board the Hai Hu “Sea Tiger, 海虎” when they were swept into the sea while attempting to retrieve a rescue buoy south of Liuqiu Township (琉球), Pingtung County, at about noon on Thursday.
Photo: Taipei Times file
Three others swept into the water — a lieutenant commander surnamed Chen (陳), a lieutenant surnamed Tsung (叢) and a petty officer surnamed Lee (李) — were pulled from the water conscious not long after the incident, the navy said.
The statement was released in response to media queries following the elapsing of initial 72 hours — also known as the “golden time” for search and rescue missions — since the incident.
So far the rescue mission for the three missing crew members has only managed to find the rescue buoy the crew had earlier been trying to retrive as well as one life jacket from the submarine, the navy said.
Following a visit to the three rescued submariners at a military hospital in Kaohsiung on Friday, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) apologized to the nation for another accident within the armed forces.
Citing initial investigations, Chiu said all the six submariners who went overboard were wearing life jackets and had been tethered to the deck by a safety harness, which was supposed to prevent them from going overboard.
However, a buckle attaching the harnesses to a safety line deformed, probably due to weather conditions, resulting in the crew members falling into the sea, Chiu said.
The minister pledged to conduct a full review and reform to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Hai Hu is one of two Chien Lung-class “Sword Dragon” submarines Taiwan purchased from the Netherlands in the 1980s, the other being Hai Lung (“Sea Dragon,” 海龍).
Taiwan also possesses two vintage World War II submarines purchased from the US in the 1970s, but they are now used exclusively for training purposes.
The nation is building its indigenous submarines to replace the aging fleet and the launch of a prototype the Hai Kun (海鯤), or “Narwhal,” was held in September.
The construction of domestic submarines means Taiwan is to have a total of three combat-ready submarines by 2025, and four by 2027, according to the navy.
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