Navy set to say if it can raise Japanese ship

Jill Waddle, top, and retired Air Force officer Dan Waddle, bottom, say Scott Waddle is contrite    WEB EXCLUSIVE Martin Savidge: Waddle's family worried about sub skipper's fate

Inquiry 'difficult' for sub commander, family says

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy was expected on Monday to report whether it can raise a Japanese ship sunk by a U.S. submarine, as the sub commander's family worried over his fate.

Cmdr. Scott Waddle's vessel, the USS Greeneville, collided with the Ehime Maru on February 9 while surfacing. Nine people -- including four students from Uwajima Fisheries High School -- were killed.

The Japanese ship was carrying 35 passengers and crew, 13 of them high school students on a training project to learn commercial fishing. The Greeneville was demonstrating an emergency surfacing maneuver to civilians who were on board.

The Navy submersibles exploring the wreckage of the 180-foot vessel were too large to enter it and could not determine whether the bodies of any of the nine were on board. But the Navy was uncertain whether it could raise the intact ship, which lies 2,000 feet underwater off the Hawaiian island of Oahu. The Navy is expected to address the issue in the report to be released Monday.

VIDEO CNN's Martin Savidge talks with the wife and father of Cmdr. Scott Waddle of the U.S.S. Greenville Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Meanwhile, Waddle's father and wife said that the Navy commander was contrite and emotional as the Navy held a court of inquiry into the incident.

"I know my son's pain, and I can feel it for him," said Dan Waddle, a retired Air Force officer. "The day before yesterday when they started to show the videotape of the search effort by the Coast Guard, Scott broke down and cried and they had to take a recess."

Waddle said he feared his son would be made to be a scapegoat for the collision, which has developed into a major issue in U.S.-Japanese relations.

"It is a concern," said Waddle. "The Navy admiral from the Japanese submarine force is sitting about 10 feet in front of me (during the court of inquiry). And I think this is unprecedented that an officer from a foreign country is sent on an inquiry like this. That stresses the interest and the political aspects of it."

Waddle's wife acknowledged that the court of inquiry has been difficult for her family, but she noted positive aspects of it as well.

"The thing that's been difficult (is that) the Japanese families are here. Finally (Scott Waddle) was able to apologize to them in person," Jill Waddle told CNN. "That has helped. It's very painful, but it's good that (the healing process) has started."

CNN National Correspondent Martin Savidge contributed to this report.

Sub skipper's family speaks out about collision
March 11, 2001
Court of inquiry watches simulation of sub's periscope sweep
March 9, 2001
Sub skipper's lawyer disputes Navy's report of collision
March 7, 2001

U.S. Coast Guard
Japanese Prime Minister
CINCPACFLT :: USS Greeneville (SSN 772) incident
City of Uwajima's memorial site
U.S. Navy
 • CINCPACFLT statement on the USS Greeneville incident
 • Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
 • USS Greeneville
National Transportation Safety Board

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