The bodies of a number of US sailors have been found in flooded compartments of a US Navy destroyer which had its side stoved in during a collision with a cargo ship off the coast of Japan.
"As search and rescue crews gained access to the spaces that were damaged during the collision. the missing sailors were located in the flooded berthing compartments. It's hard to imagine what this crew has had to endure, the challenges they've had to overcome", Aucoin said.
Divers were waiting to inspect it below the waterline, where there had also been significant damage. Aucoin said the crash left a big hole below the water line.
It was questioning crew members of the ACX Crystal, which is operated by the Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen K.K., and was treating the incident as a case of possible professional negligence, said Masayuki Obara, a regional coast guard official. "It will take months, hopefully under a year" for repairs.
The Japanese coastguard said the Fitzgerald was experiencing some flooding but was not in danger of sinking, while the merchant vessel was able to sail under its own power.
The US Navy has declined to say how many had been recovered. The rules stipulate that ships have a watch posted at all times and follow a number of steps when crossing the path or overtaking another vessel to ensure they don't hit.
The U.S. 7th Fleet said on its Facebook page that it is working with the Japanese Coast Guard to conduct a medical evacuation for a sailor.
"US and Japanese support from the Navy, Maritime Self Defense Force and Coast Guard are in the area to ensure that the Sailors on USS Fitzgerald have the resources they need to stabilize their ship", he said.
The damaged USS Fitzgerald is being towed by a tugboat in the waters near the U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo, after the U.S. destroyer collided with the Philippine-registered container ship ACX Crystal in the waters off the Izu Peninsula Saturday, June 17, 2017.
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"Two sailors, in addition to the commanding officer, have been medically evacuated from USS Fitzgerald to US Naval Hospital Yokosuka for lacerations and bruises", the navy said.
There were 285 crew onboard, the spokesman said.
The captain, Commander Bryce Benson, suffered a head injury and was airlifted to shore, and Mr Aucoin said he is lucky to have survived.
The Fitzgerald, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer commissioned in 1995, is part of the Yokosuka-based group that includes the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, but it was operating independently of the carrier when the collision occurred, said Cmdr.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JAM) said that at the time of the collision, the weather and therefore visibility should have been clear and the waves were at a height of around 2 meters.
"Once an investigation is complete then any legal issues can be addressed", the U.S. navy's Seventh Fleet spokesman said.
"Heartbreak and something like that, as far as I'm aware, hasn't happened in a long time", Max Cormier said.
At around 29,000 tons displacement, the ship dwarfs the 8,315-ton US warship.
"The ship is being ported back to Tokyo Bay and all crew have been instructed to remain onboard pending their interview by Japanese authorities later today", added the DFA in Manila.
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