I Had Never Seen This

These kinds of stories amaze me:

The Pacocha, a 312-foot former U.S. Navy attack submarine, had been accidentally rammed by a 412-ton Japanese fishing boat shortly after sunset on Aug. 26, about three miles from the port of Callao, eight miles northwest of Lima.

Within seven minutes the submarine, which carried more than 50 sailors and officers, sank 137 feet to the Pacific floor.

Gomez recalled the absolute darkness, broken by brilliant flashes of sparks from short-circuiting control panels, as the vessel made its rapid descent.

In the waters above, three officers and 23 sailors who had managed to abandon ship formed floating circles in the frigid water and waited for rescue. But before help arrived, three crewmen were separated from the rest. Their bodies were never found.

And from there - something that I never quite knew was possible:

Over the next several hours, Gomez and 21 others formed small groups and in succession crammed into the tiny chamber, similar to a torpedo tube, sealed themselves from the craft and allowed water in to equalize pressure with the ocean.

Then they shot up, breaking the Pacific's surface, gasping and screaming from pain.

Worth a read...

Posted by Mitch at September 7, 2006 07:11 AM | TrackBack