USS Guardian, US Navy image
WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) – A U.S. Navy minesweeper, the USS Guardian, ran aground in the Sulu Sea off the Philippines on Thursday, and was stuck on a reef, the Navy said.
No one was injured in the incident, which occurred at 2:25 a.m. local time on Tubbataha Reef about 80 miles (130 km) east-southeast of Palawan Island, in the Philippines, the Navy said. There were no reports that any fuel leaked from the vessel.
The ship, with a crew of 80, had just completed a port call at Subic Bay in the Philippines, when the grounding occurred.
“The crew is currently working to determine the best method of safely extracting the ship,” a Navy statement said, adding that the cause of the grounding was under investigation.
(Writing by Peter Cooney; Editing by David Brunnstrom)
(c) 2013 Thomson Reuters, Click For Restrictions
This is NOT the way to extend a liberty port visit!
Usually this means a new captain will be assigned, and the old captain will be assigned to a desk.
First thing they report is no fuel leaks, well they better hope not , she is a fiberglass hull. At the keel she is over a foot thick and the hull is nearly 8" thick near the deck.
Oh no, my old OPS is the CO. This usually doesn’t end well.
Its been 43 years since we were there USCGC Pontchartrain WHEC 70 we did'nt hit anything you lost Navy?
water too deep or the coast guard. anything over your head is out.
STCW45(youtube) still running strong I see :/
forgot to put the wheels down did we?
sleeping on watch again…..
not good for a wooden hull.
its glass
Latest Wave Heights via Navy weather site http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=523314927703008&set=a.175542189146952.46215.144238675610637&type=1&theater.
Somebody lost their job.
Aren't reefs usually noted on sea charts as potential problems to be avoided?
From Sasebo?
Way too much sake and beer….running aground in the phillipines, too many hookers and beer…OOD is screwed, Captain is screwed, they should all go back to Japan and commit seppuku
Believe it or not, the reefs move during the frequent seismic events in the region. Try sailing through Indonesia and the Mentawis by chart sometime and you’ll find yourself in some interesting spots.
Too bad she wasn’t a gator. It could have been logged in as “practice” beaching.
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