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HMCS Chicoutimi {MERGED}

Flags to half mast tomorrow - I imagine it will be a sombre day in Halifax tomorrow.  My most sincere condolences to Lt Saunders' wife and children, godspeed and smooth sailing to the men still aboard.
 
Lt. Saunders made the ultimate sacrifice... may he R.I.P. now.
 
Brin when I do and if I can I will...Chris was a great guy and a fine officer. :(
 
This makes me so incredibly angry. Our government once again made the choice to put money ahead of the safety and well-being of the very people who volunteered to protect this country with their lives. Sailing a submarine across the Atlantic ocean should not be a deadly affair. What utter bullsh*t.
 
xenomfba said:
This makes me so incredibly angry. Our government once again made the choice to put money ahead of the safety and well-being of the very people who volunteered to protect this country with their lives. Sailing a submarine across the Atlantic ocean should not be a deadly affair. What utter bullsh*t.

And this time, someone died because of it.  There's blood on liberals hands now.
 
Let's have a modicum of civility here. A suitable period should pass before we start talking about causes, blame, investigations, etc. Keep it simple and sombre please.
 
This thread is getting ridiculous.   A good lot of you are just as bad as the baboons on the Parliament Floor.   Shit happens; if a vehicle rolls, a ship catches fire, or a plane crashes, culpability does not automatically fall upon the government of the day.   Quit trying to make a shit-storm from something which we have very little knowledge of right now.

Like recceguy said keep it sombre and simple.   If you have something to contribute, do so.   If you want to stir the pot and rabble-rouse, I'll just delete posts that attempt to turn this sailors life into some political statement.
 
Thinking of his :cdn: family and friends  :cdn: at this time.

May he rest in peace.

Wes
 
Infanteer said:
This thread is getting ridiculous.  A good lot of you are just as bad as the baboons on the Parliament Floor.  crap happens; if a vehicle rolls, a ship catches fire, or a plane crashes, culpability does not automatically fall upon the government of the day.  Quit trying to make a crap-storm from something which we have very little knowledge of right now.

Like recceguy said keep it sombre and simple.  If you have something to contribute, do so.  If you want to stir the pot and rabble-rouse, I'll just delete posts that attempt to turn this sailors life into some political statement.

Well said Infanteer. Mudslinging will come later, in spades, and from all quarters. At the moment we should just remember that any one of us who serves may go at any time, and never have the opportunity to select the manner or time of our passing. What really matters is how we are recalled by those who knew us.  :salute: Cheers.
 
Alls well sir, carry on  :salute:

My prayers are with his family.
 
The Submariner's Prayer
Almighty,  Everlasting God,  the Protector of all those
who put  their trust in Thee: hear our prayers in behalf
of Thy servants who sail their vessels beneath the seas.

We beseech Thee to keep in Thy sustaining care all
who are in submarines, that they may be delivered
from the hidden dangers of the deep.

Grant them courage, and a devotion to fulfill their duties,
that they may better serve Thee and their native land.

Though acquainted with the depths of the ocean,
deliver them from the depths of despair and the
dark hours of the absence of friendliness and grant
them a good ship's spirit.

Bless all their kindred and loved ones from whom they are separated.

When they surface their ships, may they praise Thee for
Thou art there as well as in the deep.

Fill them with Thy Spirit that they may be sure in their reckonings,
unwavering in duty, high in purpose, and upholding the honor
of their nation.

Amen


                                                            ---Author Unknown

 
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:13

RIP, sir.  :salute:
 
Sleep Peacefully Lieut. Saunders, You Shall Not Be Forgotten
 
Life of 2nd sailor from stranded sub in danger
CTV.ca News Staff

One of the sailors aboard HMCS Chicoutimi, has died and now there is word that the life of a second sailor may be in danger.

A doctor says the unidentified sailor, who is suffering from smoke inhalation, has been transferred to intensive care at a hospital in Ireland. He has extensive lung damage and may have to be put on a ventilator.

A third sailor is said to be in a stable condition.

Another sailor, Lieut. Chris Saunders, a 32-year-old husband and father of two small children, died of injuries Wednesday evening.

The three were airlifted Wednesday night off the Chicoutimi, which remains stranded at sea after a major fire Tuesday.

News of the death came as a shock, since initial reports said the fire was "minor" and there was no indication that any of the three injured sailors were suffering from life-threatening injuries.

On Wednesday night, about half a dozen people gathered outside Saunders' home to offer comfort to his wife, Gwen, who stayed in the house with her parents and sister.

Saunders was injured Tuesday by a large fire that broke out on board between the commanding officers' cabin and an electrical equipment room. The fire's cause is still unknown.

Initial reports were that nine of the 57 crew members suffered smoke inhalation. British navy medical officers were lowered on board Wednesday and determined that three of the sailors needed medical attention.

They were evacuated by helicopter later in the day. But en route, the aircraft was diverted to a hospital in southern Ireland when Saunders' condition worsened.

Cameras captured the landing of the British helicopter and the sight of two men wheeling a stretcher while a third man applied CPR. The two other Canadian sailors walked to a car and were driven away.

Saunders was declared dead at the hospital in Sligo.

"Regrettably, during the course of the medical evacuation, his condition worsened," Gen. Ray Henault, chief of defence staff, told an Ottawa news conference Wednesday evening.

An autopsy is expected to be performed Thursday.

Sub still stranded

The rest of the crew is still stranded on the Chicoutimi, which was on its was to Halifax from the port in Faslane. The sub currently has no power and is being tossed around in the North Atlantic between Ireland and Scotland.

Graham said the sub will have to towed to shore but the weather has been bad, with choppy waves that have been delaying that operation.

"Until the weather is calm enough, they certainly cannot attempt anything as tricky as towing a submarine," he said.

"So some speculation is for much later today. There's other speculation it might be tomorrow. That's obviously for the navy to determine."

The submarine will likely be towed to a base in Faslane, Scotland, but the journey will take a few days and the vessel likely won't reach shore until Sunday.

Severity downplayed?

Now there are accusations the military downplayed the severity of the situation. Henault faced questioning after a report suggested that the Saunders' family was told Tuesday the sailor was okay.

"We were certainly aware Chris Saunders had suffered smoke inhalation," Henault replied, adding that the crew had been communicating via cellphone.

"But there was certainly no indication from the onboard medical staff that there was any cause for concern, other than the fact that they had had smoke inhalation," he said.

When the Royal Navy medical team saw the three, they determined they needed further observation, "and there were no indications of any problems until the very last moment," he said.

With communications equipment between the sub and Canadian marine officials damaged, it was difficult to maintain contact and "to come to a conclusive result early on," Henault said.
"It was our understanding that everything was stable with (the nine injured)."

On Thursday morning, Defence Minister Bill Graham could offer few other details about what went wrong.

"I cannot give you the answer to that question because we don't have that answer yet," he told Canada AM.

"The information we received that situation wasn't life-threatening was based on the analysis of those on board. After that, we were able to get two medical people on board. At the point, it was decided it would be wise to transfer three of our sailors to shore hospital.

"Obviously, the medical officer in charge made a decision that was appropriate to transfer him. And that's all I can tell you at this time. "

Originally, officials said the fire was a minor event but on Wednesday, that story changed when rescue ships arrived.

"Information we have received... indicates damage was more extensive than first thought," Cmdr. Tyrone Pile told reporters at a briefing in Halifax.

Describing it as a "major fire," the commander of the Canadian Atlantic Fleet said it, "was of sufficient strength that most of the ship's portable firefighting equipment was used to put it out."

A second fire broke out soon after, Pile added, when the crew tried to start an oxygen generator. It was quickly extinguished. The blazes knocked out all power to the vessels and Pile says "the restoration of propulsion ... is unlikely."
 
Is there any good reason why we couldn't have built our own submarines?I can't see any good reason to go buy second hand subs when they could have been built in Canadian shipyards.Even if it costs more to do so,the economic spinoffs would make up for it.
 
What would the Medical Personal consist of aboard this Submarine.
 
I belive not sure that its a 7 qual PA basicly the last one i worked with could crack a chest and go in to minimized the damage or fix a hole
 
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