Martin Savidge: Searchers remain vigilant off Hawaiian coast

Savidge

CNN National Correspondent Martin Savidge has been talking to crewmembers aboard the 110-foot U.S. Coast Guard cutter Kiska, which has been searching for nine missing passengers of a Japanese research ship that collided with a U.S. Navy submarine off Hawaii.

Q: Please give us some details about the search-and-rescue operation aboard the Kiska.

SAVIDGE: The Kiska and its crew of about 18 people were on a two-week mission and had come into the base near Honolulu to re-supply and had only been here about an hour when their pagers went off signaling the tragedy that had occurred, and they immediately got out to sea. They got out about 3 o'clock on Saturday morning and they have been out there ever since.

They've been scanning both in daylight and at night, sometimes working as many as twelve hours at a shift. During the nighttime hours they've been using night vision goggles and they say that there has not been a great deal to see. They can see well, the conditions have been very good out there, but they have not found any indication of survivors at this point. Foremost in their minds they said is that crewmembers have said they become tired or perhaps begin to lose some of their focus. They pull one another aside and they've had conversations with each other to the effect of 'if it was my family member out there, if it was my brother or someone that I knew, I would want them to keep searching. And that is something that keeps them in line and puts them back and focused on the job that they have to do. They just hope that they will find someone yet that is still alive.

Q: Is this an unusually long period of time for a search-and-rescue operation to continue?

SAVIDGE: No, not really, I mean if we look back at, say the JFK operation, that went on for several days before there was a declaration. The weather conditions here have not been that severe. The water temperature is mild. We were thinking the search would last 24 more hours, I think it could go 48. There is no lack of willingness on the part of these crews out there. They're willing to search as long as they can until they are told to stop. But that is a decision to be made by higher authorities than them.

The Coast Guard cutter Kiska

Q: What's the mood like at the Coast Guard station where you're located?

SAVIDGE: It is the logistic support area. It is where the ships taking part in the search operations come in and reload and refuel. A vessel comes in and they try to turn it around as quickly as possible. It's not a beehive of activity, but even in the middle of the night when it's very dark around here there is still activity, there are still people who know that there is a job to be done. Most of them will tell you they have not been involved in an operation of this size for quite some time. Some of these people say they have never been involved in an operation of this size before and they admit there is that adrenaline rush, that kick that keeps them going. But most of all there is the knowledge that there are people out there who need to be found and they have got to find them.

Q: Have any of the survivors expressed any anger or bitterness toward the U.S. Navy as a result of the collision?

SAVIDGE: There were some comments that were made by members of the crews, specifically the captain, at a news briefing that was held in Honolulu last night. And one of (thought) he expressed, perhaps not directly, is that there was a feeling of anger that when the submarine came up to the surface he didn't think that there was an aggressive posture. He didn't think that there was enough activity on the sub itself to begin any rescue operation. He said at one time they could see the submarine heading away from them even though their ship had been critically injured. And then the submarine did turn and come back their way. They didn't see activity of divers from the submarine jumping from the water, the sort of rescue they said they would have liked to have seen.

But you have to keep in mind the Navy has a strict procedure. You don't just jump off of a moving submarine. Once they come to the surface there is a procedure where they take some time to prepare, personnel have to come up on deck. So there is a procedure that has to be followed and sometimes that can take several minutes. But there was a sense of frustration on the part of the captain of the Japanese vessel, where he felt that perhaps the submarine itself was not doing as much as it could to help them.

Hope fades for submarine collision survivors
February 12, 2001
U.S. apology swift after sub hits boat
February 10, 2001
Sub practicing emergency ascent hit boat
February 10, 2001
Submarine SOS 'points to Kursk collision'
December 21, 2000

U.S. Coast Guard
Japanese Prime Minister
U.S. Navy
 • Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
 • USS Greeneville

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.