USS John McCain Collision: Sailors' Remains Found Aboard Ship

Navy divers working aboard the U.S.S. John S. McCain have found the remains of sailors killed when their ship collided with a merchant vessel. The announcement was made by the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Scott Swift.

The McCain collided with a merchant vessel Monday, leaving 10 sailors missing. On Tuesday, Navy and Marine Corps divers started searching sealed compartments inside the ship.

"The divers were able to locate some remains in the sealed compartments," Swift told reporters.

Scott said that, in addition, the Malaysian Navy, which has been assisting in the search efforts, appears to have recovered additional remains.

"They are working to identify those remains," Scott said.

He did not elaborate on how many sailors had been located.

The admiral said that he visited with some of the sailors and praised the ship's crew.

"It is clear that their damage control efforts saved their ship and saved lives," he said.

Navy Orders 'Operational Pause' After 4 Incidents In The Pacific

The crash led Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral John Richardson to order a pause in operations for the Navy's nearly 300 ships.

It was the second crash involving a Navy destroyer in the Pacific theater in as many months. It was the fourth notable incident since February.

"This trend demands more forceful action," Richardson said. "As such, I have directed an operational pause be taken in all of our fleets around the world."

Richardson said there would also be a review to address what the "root causes" of these accidents are and that there would be a "very tight timeline."

"We need to get to the bottom of this," Richardson said. "So let's get to it." Siwft is headed to Singapore to lead the probe.

The Navy said that the U.S.S. John McCain was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while headed to Singapore Monday morning local time. The more than 30,000-ton, 600-foot-long Alnic was carrying oil and other cargo.

The Alnic is a Liberian-flagged ship.

Four of the injured were transported by helicopter with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. The fifth soldier was treated aboard ship and did not require additional medical attention.

The Navy says the McCain was on its way to make a routine port visit in Singapore when it collided with the Alnic just before 6:30 a.m. local time.

See Also: NAVY RELEASES PRELIMINARY REPORT ON June COLLISION INVOLVING THE FITZGERALD

The McCain — launched in 1994 and named for the father and grandfather of the senator from Arizona; both were Admirals in the Navy — was able to reach to port at Changi Naval Base under its own power while search and rescue efforts got underway in coordination with local authorities.

In addition to tugboats out of Singapore, the Republic of Singapore Navy ship RSS Gallant, helicopters from the Singapore Navy and the Police Coast Guard vessel Basking Shark were sent to help. Aircraft from the USS America had also responded.

Initial reports indicated that the McCain, which has approximately 300 sailors and officers board, sustained damage to her port side aft.

The Navy said that significant damage to the hull resulted in flooding to nearby compartments including the areas where the crew sleeps, machinery and communications rooms.

Efforts by the crew were able to stop further flooding.

A family assistance center has been established. Families can call 011-81-46-816-1728.

President Trump initially responded to reports of the collision by saying, "that's too bad."

He later elaborated in a tweet.

The McCain, which had just finished what the Navy says were routine patrols in the South China Sea, including a Freedom of Navigation mission near the contested islands that China has created in the area, is the fourth Navy ship involved in an incident this year,

Just two months ago, another Naval Guided Missile Destroyer — the U.S.S. Fitzgerald — was involved in a collision with a container ship — the Crystal — off the coast of Japan.

Seven sailors died in that incident, the greatest loss of life suffered by the Navy since the bombing of the Cole 17 years ago.

In May, the Lake Champlain collided with a South Korean fishing ship in an incident that had no injuries, and in February, the Antietam, another guided missile ship, ran ashore in Tokyo Bay, spilling hundreds of gallons of fuel.

The McCain, the Fitzgerald and the Antietam are all a part of the Seventh Fleet. The Lake Champlain is assigned to Carrier Group One.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Joshua Fulton/U.S. Navy via Getty Images