Rescue diver reaches nuclear sub

The Norwegian vessel DSV Seaway Eagle takes part in rescue efforts early Sunday

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MOSCOW -- A Norwegian diver reached the wreckage of the crippled Russian nuclear submarine on Sunday, Russian television reported.

The diver's mission is the first phase of an international effort to save any survivors from the Kursk's 118 crew.

A British team is also at the rescue site with a high-tech mini-sub that it is hoped will be the key to pulling any survivors from the Kursk.

But Russian officials say the chances of anyone being alive one week after the accident are, at best, slim.

The British and Norwegian teams joined Russian rescuers at the accident site in the Barents Sea off northwest Russia. The submarine is stranded on the sea floor about136 kilometers (85 miles) from the naval base of Severomorsk.

The Norwegian diver slowly descended to the Kursk -- which is resting 110 meters (350ft) below the surface -- and will examine the rear escape hatch.

If possible he will open the hatch to gain entry to the Kursk's airlock and check a device that measures the pressure inside the submarine itself, to see whether or not the inside pressure is too great to support life.

Previous attempts by Russian rescuers to free the submariners from the Kursk have failed and the Russian navy has reported damage to the rear hatch.

The British LR5 mini-sub would have to lock onto the hatch and open it if any Kursk survivors are to be brought to the surface.

A decision on how to proceed with the mission will be based on the initial findings of the lone Norwegian deep-sea diver, who is armed with video equipment.

The Norwegian team -- specialists from the offshore oil industry -- will also evaluate the chances of survivors being on board before a decision is made on deploying the LR5.

A spokesman for the British Ministry of Defense in London said the Norwegian strategy is only one option being considered by the rescue teams.

"We have no firm indication on how they will go forward," he told CNN.

Hours before the arrival of the British and Norwegian teams, Russian officials made the announcement everyone feared: most of the crew had been killed outright, and by now the rest were almost certainly dead.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov said that most of the submarine's 118 crew members were dead.

"The absolute majority of the crew died in the first two minutes of the disaster, including those who were responsible for the command of the ship," he said.

Relatives of the crew members aboard the Kursk arrive in Murmansk on Saturday

Klebanov also held little hope in the rescue attempt about to be launched by the joint Norwegian and British team.

"We think that the British submersible will not be able to latch on, since it will be using the same methods the Russian capsules used."

These words were echoed earlier by Russian Navy spokesman Ivan Dygalo, who said: "Many times underwater rescuers tried to latch on to (the escape hatch) but they can't seal it properly.

"We should not look upon the arrival of the British rescuers as a panacea, as they will encounter the same problems."

A Russian inquiry found there had been a massive explosion in the front section of the Kursk, which had ripped through the submarine's hull, according to Mikhail Motsak, head of the Northern Fleet general staff.

"We have crossed the critical borderline of survival which we have allocated to the crew according to our guidelines." he said.

A United States rescue team has also been assembled for possible use, after Defense Secretary William Cohen said that he had offered to send a small team of experts to the scene to provide engineering, medical and other advice.

Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral Craig Quigley said the team would include three or four people with expertise in submarines, underwater rescue techniques, diving and medical issues. They would have computer links to broader technical resources at military installations in the U.S.

Submarine drama transfixes, angers Russians
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Russia considers dragging sub to shallow water
August 17, 2000
Agonising wait of sailors' families
August 16, 2000
Damaged nuclear sub 'poses threat to environment'
August 16, 2000
Britain rushes rescue craft to aid Russian sub
August 16, 2000
Submarine disaster deals setback to Putin
August 15, 2000

NORSAIR seismology research site
NORSAIR map of submarine site
UK Ministry of Defence
Perry Slingsby Systems: LR5 manufacturers
World Navies Today: Russian Submarines
Jane's Information Group
Russian Government
NATO

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