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WESCOM via AFP - Getty Images
A photo released on Jan. 18, 2013 by the Philippine Western Command (WESCOM) shows the US Navy minesweeper USS Guardian after it ran aground on the Tubbataha Reef in the western Philippine island of Palawan on Jan. 17.
The crew of a U.S. Navy minesweeper that ran aground in a protected marine sanctuary off the Philippines was evacuated on Friday as the ship remained stuck on a reef.
The USS Guardian, an Avenger-class minesweeper, hit the Tubbataha Reef in the Sula Sea at 2:25 a.m. local time Thursday (1:25 p.m. Wednesday ET).
Attempts to free the ship at high tide were not successful, the Navy said in a statement, and all 79 crew members were subsequently transferred to two nearby support vessels.
"Seventh Fleet ships remain on scene and essential Guardian Sailors will continue conducting survey operations onboard the ship as needed until she is recovered," said Vice Adm. Scott Swift, U.S. Seventh Fleet commander. "Several support vessels have arrived and all steps are being taken to minimize environmental effects while ensuring the crew’s continued safety."
The reason for the grounding remains under investigation, the Navy said.
WESCOM via AFP - Getty Images
The minesweeper pictured on Jan. 17, 2013 after it ran aground.
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I bet when the crew returns it will be minus the captain
By and large the safety record of the USN is exemplary. From time to time sh$% happens. Not a big deal, charts can be faulty or someone dozed off at the helm. You can watch some of the people some of the time but not all of the sailors all of the time. This is still the most competent Navy of the world so give them some slack.
Bill, As often as U.S. Navy ships transit the shallows of the world entering and exiting ports and passing through the myriad of maritime chokepoints you are absolutely correct, the overall safety record is "exemplary." That said, "shiX is simply not supposed to happen." The number one concern a Commanding Officer has with the safety of his crew is not hitting the sides of the ocean, "the" number one responsibility. It is a big deal, a huge deal. Charts are no excuse as this area of the world is well know to Navy Mariners. No one dozed off, there are too many people "seeing to" the safe navigation of the ship. There are lookouts, a helmsman, a Conning Officer, a quartermaster, an Officer of the Deck, a Combat Information Center (CIC) Watch Officer, and CIC watch stander, not to mention the Commanding and Executive Officers. The problem is big, it gets studied down to the nats ass of detail and then the results are diseminated to Surface Warfare Officers School for introduction into their curriculum, so all lessons are understood, by prospective Division Officers, Department Heads, Executive Officers and Commanding Officers. With the obvious intent to remove the possibility of repeating the incident and to understand how "good strong productive leadership" can be the factor that keeps these things from happening. So, no slack Bill, no slack at all.
How about instruments equipment failure? Does that ever happen?
Bridge to Skipper: "Sir we just heard a loud crashing sound going to investigate"
Skipper to Bridge: "That was my career you just heard"
Bridge to Skipper: "Sucks to be you.....out"
Real story of McHale's navy.
The captain was texting when the accident happened.
its very unfortunate,, I think the Captain needs to find another line of work,, I here Wal Mart is hiring ex Vets
We need to get rid of all the coral. It is hampering our Navy.
G-i-l-l-i-g-a-n
Ships aground on the shore of this uncharted......................................................
There went the Officer of the Deck's promising naval career!
It wasn't sweeping for mines. It was just steaming from point A to point B, and relying on it's GPS and navigational charts(which appearantly wasn't accurate) to stay out of dangerous waters. It's as blind as any other commercial shipping out there.
One more ship's captain can count on early retirement over this one. They may need to bring in some giant air bags to raise the ship off the reef and allow it to slip backwards into deeper water. That could take a month to get the equipment on site.
It's either global warming or the Taliban.
Must have been a man involved. Didn't want to stop and ask directions.
Must have been a man involved, they never stop and ask for directions.
lol gotta love ya bonnie
Watch officer was thinking about that beautiful Phillipina.
Maybe the Captain wanted a new ship..There are lots of military spending cuts in the works in DC.
well I guess that captians gonna retire
If, as reported in another article today, the digital charts were incorrect and the ship was being steered by computer with the incorrect data I would think that was the cause of the grounding. The Navy says don't jump to any conclusions. What conclusions? Ya let a computer steer your ship and it ran it onto a reef that has been there for thousands of years and was properly located on thousands of previously hand written maps. Explorers with compass and sextant didn't hit it. No, it took the computer to run a minesweeper aground. It wasn't like the Costa Concordia where the captain decided to sail by the city to do a slaute. How many other ships have that same reef in the wrong place?
Most of you fools never guided a lawn mower let alone a ship at sea. Sit down and shut up!
@Voter-in-LA - @Hollykb ...As to the waves being visible; that might not be the case if the tide rise is high enough to prevent cresting. The reality seems to be that the navigator missed the charted reef or the depth shown is in error. We'll just have to wait till the investigation is completed. If the Captain wasn't on the bridge at the time I don't see how he can be held responsible. The man has to sleep at some time and the officer he turns command over to is supposed to be qualified.
The Navy has already released a preliminary cause. It was a GPS problem in charting, they claimed, that would be looked into further...
US Navy: Ship Stuck In Philippines Used Faulty Map : NPR
Then these reports began to come out.
US Navy ship 'ignored reef warnings' - ABC News (Australian
US Navy fined for 'illegal entry' at Philippine reef
Save reef not US ship, says PH government | Inquirer Global
The damage is done...
US Navy accountable
Lacierda also assured the public that the Aquino administration will hold the US Navy accountable for the grounding of the ship and the damage caused to the reef.
"We have the law and we will enforce the law...We are determined to press charges," the Palace spokesman said.
Kabataan party-list Representative Raymond Palatino earlier said under Republic Act 10067 or the Tubbataha Reefs National Park Act of 2009, the US Navy may be fined P12,000 per square meter of damaged corals.
Earlier, Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya said the Philippines also expects the US to sanction the captain of the USS Guardian.
"Once you ground your vessel, even touch bottom - not necessarily causing damage - just the fact that you allow it to touch ground is a mortal sin and could spell the difference from a promising career and a termination of a career. I could expect they'll come hard on their commanding officer," Abaya said.
"As a responsible nation and state and a strong ally of the Philippines, I assume it goes without saying (that the US will pay for damages and the cost to salvage the ship)... The law doesn't distinguish whether this was negligence or inadvertence or intentional. What is clear in the law is that we could claim for damages—not really looking into as to the intent on how it happened," Abaya added.
US must pay for all damage to Reef, cost of extricating minesweeper - DOTC chief
By: Dexter San Pedro and Abigail Kwok, InterAksyon.com
January 21, 2013 4:08 PM
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"erroneous navigation chart data"
That's The Ticket!!
Hope the Skipper was the last to leave ship, embarrassing to say the least.
By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News
The U.S. Navy ship USS Guardian remains stuck on a reef off the Philippines four days after the minesweeper ran aground.
In a statement, the U.S. Navy said preliminary findings of a review by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency found that digital navigation chart data was inaccurate and had "misplaced the location of Tubbataha Reef." This "may have been a factor in the Guardian grounding."
"While the erroneous navigation chart data is important information, no one should jump to conclusions," U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. Darryn James was quoted as saying in the statement. "It is critical that the U.S. Navy conduct a comprehensive investigation that assesses all the facts surrounding the Guardian grounding."
By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News
The U.S. Navy ship USS Guardian remains stuck on a reef off the Philippines four days after the minesweeper ran aground.
In a statement, the U.S. Navy said preliminary findings of a review by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency found that digital navigation chart data was inaccurate and had "misplaced the location of Tubbataha Reef." This "may have been a factor in the Guardian grounding."
"While the erroneous navigation chart data is important information, no one should jump to conclusions," U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. Darryn James was quoted as saying in the statement. "It is critical that the U.S. Navy conduct a comprehensive investigation that assesses all the facts surrounding the Guardian grounding."