Sailors killed after falling off submarine

LONDON – Rough seas swept four American sailors from the deck of a U.S. nuclear submarine off the coast of southwestern England on Friday, killing two of them, authorities said.

The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul was leaving Plymouth harbor accompanied by police boats in rough weather, police said. The four sailors were tied to the vessel with ropes – a routine precaution – but were knocked into the water by surging waves.

The police boats – small inflatable dinghies with outboard motors – picked up all four, said Baxter Provan, a spokesman for the Devon and Cornwall police.

Lt. Chris Servello, a spokesman for the U.S. 6th Fleet in Naples, Italy, said the four men were taken to a hospital in Plymouth, where two were pronounced dead. The two survivors were treated for minor injuries and discharged, he said. No one else was injured and all the other sailors have been accounted for.

Provan said the two survivors would probably not have been rescued as quickly had it not been for the police escort, which was assigned to the submarine because of the higher security accorded to American vessels.

“You could say it was lucky they were there,” he said.

Servello said the submarine had just completed a weeklong layover in Plymouth and was heading out to sea for routine duties.

Winds gusts reached 47 miles per hour and there were light rains, Britain’s Meteorological Office said.

Provan said the submarine continued on its journey, but would be returning to Plymouth harbor today once the weather and tides become more favorable.

The nuclear-powered attack submarine, which is based in Norfolk, Va., has a crew of 110 and can reach speeds exceeding 30 miles an hour. Its weapons include torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles.