Injured Canadian sailor dies on airlift to hospital

By JILL LAWLESS
The Associated Press

AP The HMCS Chicoutimi is seen yesterday off the northwest coast of Ireland. An electrical fire Tuesday disabled the ship.

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LONDON — A sailor injured in a fire that disabled a Canadian submarine died yesterday while being airlifted to a British hospital. The diesel-powered submarine drifted in the Atlantic as British ships battled through rough weather to reach the remaining 54 crew members on board.

Officials had initially described the electrical fire Tuesday aboard the HMCS Chicoutimi as small. But Commodore Tyrone Pile, commander of the Canadian Atlantic Fleet, said yesterday it was "a major fire" that was worse than first thought.

Britain's military airlifted Lt. Chris Saunders and two other injured sailors from the vessel earlier yesterday. Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said Saunders had died during the airlift but provided no further details.

The Chicoutimi, a diesel-powered patrolling submarine formerly called HMS Upholder, was only turned over to the Canadian navy Saturday and had been on its way from Britain to the Canadian port of Halifax.

The incident has highlighted concerns about four secondhand subs Canada recently purchased from Britain. The submarines were originally built in the late 1980s and early 1990s for the British navy. They were mothballed in 1994 when Britain decided to stick with an all-nuclear submarine force.

It is the last of the subs to be delivered to Canada, but making them operational has been delayed by repairs to cracks found in key valves after the vessels were brought out of storage.

Rescuers had intended to take the three injured men to a hospital in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, but had to quickly change course to Sligo, in the Republic of Ireland, because Saunders' condition deteriorated and he needed immediate treatment.

There was no immediate word on the condition of the two other crew members brought to Sligo for treatment. Canadian officials said nine people had suffered smoke inhalation.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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