3 South Africa navy personnel die after they are swept off a submarine deck during supply operation

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Three South African navy personnel died and a senior officer was in a critical condition after seven crew members of a submarine were swept off its deck by big sea waves as a helicopter attempted a “vertical transfer” of supplies, the Department of Defence said Thursday.

Wednesday’s accident happened as an Air Force Lynx helicopter was attempting what’s known as a “vertrep” - or vertical replenishment - of supplies to the SAS Manthatisi submarine on the ocean surface off the coast of Cape Town, the department said.

The operation was immediately called off and a rescue effort was launched.

All seven submariners were recovered, but three were pronounced dead. A crew member from the helicopter who was dispatched as a “surface swimmer” to assist in the rescue operation was also recovered and is in the hospital alongside the four surviving submariners.

Other news Oscar Pistorius is eligible for parole after serving half of his murder sentence, new documents say Denmark’s Novo Nordisk and South Africa’s Aspen sign a deal to produce insulin for African patients Springboks load bench with 7 forwards to take on top-ranked Ireland at Rugby World Cup

The National Sea Rescue Institute and other emergency services were called in to help with the rescue, the Department of Defense said. There will be an inquiry into the failed operation and the resulting deaths, the department said.

The South African National Defense Force, which comprises all the armed forces, said a female officer with the rank of lieutenant commander was among the three who died.

Cape Town and other areas on South Africa’s south coast have been hit by extremely rough seas since last weekend, caused by a phenomenon known as “spring tide.”

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.