Two US submariners die after fallinig overboard in Plymouth Sound

[Magogman]

BBC News reports that two crewmen of the nuclear powered submarine USS Minnneapolis-St. Paul died after falling overboard.  Four crewmen were working on the submarmine when it departed Devonport Naval Base and fell overboard.  Although they were tied to the submarine they were unable to get back on board.  A rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose, and a tugboat and a lifeboat were sent to the men's aid.  They were taken ashore to the Derriford hospital in Plymouth where two of the sailors were pronounced dead.  The other two were later released.

The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul had just completed a week long visit to Plymouth and was leaving the harbor at the time of the incident.  It has since continted its journey.

The four sailors were reported to have been working on the "outer casing" of the submarine and got into diffulty and were battered about by the waves, unable to get back on the submarine although they were tied to it.

The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul is based in Norfolk, Virginia and since October has been operating as part of the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet.

Source: BBC News website

[Kelvin Davies]

The way this was reported by the local police was slightly different.
As the sub cleared the breakwater, a large wave knocked 4 of the sailors off the casing.
As is usual in British ports, two Ministry of Defence vessels were escorting the boat out of harbour and they picked up all of them in double quick time.
However, two of them were already too far gone and although the MoD crew performed CPS on them all the way back into port, they were pronounced dead at the hospital.
The 2 survivors are in the sick bay at HMS Drake, the local stone frigate.
The submarine was unable to turn round to collect them or even take part in the inquiry as the weather was too bad. Once the weather has abated, the boat will come back into Plymouth.
Kelvin

[Magogman]

Kelvin's post is correct.  My original posting above came from one of the earlier reports in which the details were quite sketchy; subsequent media reports have been much detailed.

A real tragedy for those concerned.