Lost at sea: Seven sailors missing feared dead after $1.5bn US Navy destroyer collided with 29,000 ton cargo ship at 2.30am off Japan - crushing sleeping quarters and leaving the crew 'fighting to keep her afloat'
- The Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippines merchant vessel at 2.30am local time
- The incident occurred southwest of Yokosuka off the coast of Japan
- US defense official said there are seven sailors unaccounted and three injured, including the commander
- The Navy says damage occurred to the starboard side, above and below the Fitzgerald's waterline
- Video captured a person in a stretcher being taken up to a helicopter from the deck of the destroyer
- Bryce Benson was appointed Executive Officer of the Fitzgerald in 2015, took over as Commander last month
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Seven US Sailors are missing after the a US Navy destroyer collided with a 29,000 ton cargo ship 56 miles off the coast of Japan.
The guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald suffered severe damage when the container ship ACX Crystal – which is more than four times the size of the naval vessel – plowed into it at 2.30am local time.
Aerial footage shows the crushed exterior of the 9,000 ton $1.5billion destroyer which is commanded by Commander Bryce Benson, who took over in May.
At least seven crew members are still unaccounted for and a search is being conducted by the Navy and the Japanese coastguard. Two crew berthings and one engineering main space have been flooded.
Three aboard the destroyer had been medically evacuated, including the ship's commanding officer, Cmdr. Benson, who was reportedly in stable condition after being airlifted to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, the Navy said.
The other two injured were transferred to the hospital for lacerations and bruises, while other injuries were being assessed, it said. The Fitzgerald and the Japanese Coast Guard were searching for the seven missing sailors.
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Collision: Heavy damage is pictured on the US Navy missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald after it collided with a cargo ship near Japan early on Saturday morning
Missing: A US defense official confirmed that there are seven sailors unaccounted and that the destroyer suffered flooding in three compartments
The commander of the guided missile destroyer Bryce Benson was injured during the collision. He took command two months ago
Listing: The $1.5billion missile destroyer is listing to the side and is taking on water after the violent collision
The USS Fitzgerald, a Navy destroyer, collided with a merchant vessel around 2.30am local time off the Japanese coast, suffering damage to starboard side above and below the waterline (pictured)
The destroyer suffered flooding in three compartments (damage pictured above)
Damage: Damage to the bow of the 29,000 ton cargo ship ACX Crystal after it collided with the USS Fitzgerald
The 29,000 ton ACX Crystal is much larger than the 9,000 ton USS Fitzgerald. The cargo ship appears to have hit the destroyer head on
According to the US Navy, the collision occurred 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, off the coast of Japan (above)
At full strength the Fitzgerald - a 154-meter long Aegis destroyer weighing 8,315 tons - has a crew of 331 sailors.
The 7th Fleet revealed that the ship is proceeding back to her home port of Yokosuka under her own power although her propulsion is limited. The USS Dewey - another destroyer- and two Navy tugs have been dispatched to provide assistance. Naval aircraft are also being readied.
'It was a was real fight by crew to keep the ship afloat. Our concerns now are with ship mates; seven sailors missing and 2 evacuees. When the news came we were all focused on the safety of or ship and the crew,' a naval spokesman in Yokosuka told DailyMail.com. 'We at the base are still reeling from the events.'
There are now two tug bots with the naval ship, moving at one to two knots and the Fitzgerald is expected back in Yukoska port later Saturday.
The ACX Crystal, which is 222.6 meters long and weighs 29,060 tons, is now on route to Tokyo with superficial damage and no reports of casualties.
Damage to the US destroyer is catastrophic, with the ship sustaining damage on starboard side above and below waterline. Helicopter and spy satellite footage shows considerable damage to the starboard of the Aegis destroyer.
Serving at full strength, the Fitzgerald has more than 250 crew members aboard and a top speed of 30 knots. It is unclear how fast the destroyer was going when it collided with the merchant ship.
'U.S. and Japanese support from the Navy, Maritime Self Defense Force and Coast Guard are in the area to ensure that the Sailors on USS Fitzgerald have the resources they need to stabilize their ship,' said Adm. John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations in a statement.
'As more information is learned, we will be sure to share to it with the Fitzgerald families and when appropriate the public. Thank you for your well wishes and messages of concern. All of our thoughts and prayers are with the Fitzgerald crew and their families.
The collision hit the crew's sleeping quarters squarely on, and there are fears that lives may have been lost.
Footage taken of the crash by Japanese media outlet NHK shows damage to the starboard side - above and below the waterline of the destroyer - but the Navy says the extent 'is being determined'.
According to marine tracking websites, the Philippine-flagged cargo ship was on its way to Tokyo.
It is unclear how much warning the crew had that a collision was imminent.
Footage also captured a person in a stretcher being taken up to a helicopter from the deck of the USS Fitzgerald. The injured sailor had a head injury.
Following the collision, the Navy requested the assistance of the Japanese Coast Guard, with cutters Izunami and Kano on station.
Families are still awaiting news of their loves ones' whereabouts.
The cargo ship (pictured) weighs 29,000 tons and is more than 740 feet long. According to marine tracking websites, it was on its way to Tokyo
According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, one person is injured and seven are unaccounted for (damage pictured above)
The ACX Crystal received minimal damage to the port bow (pictured). According to marine tracking websites, the Philippine-flagged cargo ship was on its way to Tokyo
The USS Fitzgerald (pictured in August 2012) was commissioned in 1995 and is based in Yokosuka, according to the Navy
The destroyer's commanding officer is Commander Bryce Benson (pictured) who earned his commission through the Naval ROTC program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Her grandson, Jackson Schrimsher, is a 23-year-old sailor aboard the Fitzgerald. Rita said she last communicated with him via Facebook messenger on Wednesday.
In a statement, Admiral Scott Swift, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, said: 'Right now we are focused on two things: the safety of the ship and the well-being of the Sailors.
'We thank our Japanese partners for their assistance.'
The destroyer's commanding officer, Commander Bryce Benson, earned his commission through the Naval ROTC program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In November 2015, Benson reported as the Executive Officer of the USS Fitzgerald as part of the Surface Navy’s Command Fleet Up program.
On May 13, he relieved Commander Robert Shu as the Commanding Officer of the destroyer.
According to a report from the Navy Times, Benson was 'incapacitated' in the accident and Executive Officer Commander Sean Babbitt has assumed command.
The USS Fitzgerald - whose motto is 'Protect Your People' - was commissioned in 1995 and is based in Yokosuka, according to the Navy, at a cost of $1.48billion.
Its crew includes roughly 33 officers, 38 chief petty officers and 291 enlisted members of the Navy.
The Fitzgerald completed $21 million in upgrades and repairs in February, and recently made a port call to the US Navy’s Subic Bay base in the Philippines and conducted patrols in the South China Sea.
The ship’s crew used the stop to conduct some minor repairs with the assistance of Philippine companies.
Ryan Barenklau, from the Washington-based intelligence company Strategic Sentinel, told DailyMail.com: 'This is a very tragic event. There is not much information currently on how an advanced destroyer could have collided with a massive cargo ship, but I am confident that there is a reasonable explanation and I am sure we will hear what that is in the coming days.
'The ship was hit near 2 berthings and 1 engineering compartment. It is likely that the berthings had crewman sleeping due to the early hour of the incident.'
Search on for seven missing US Navy sailors after stricken $1.5billion destroyer is tugged back into port and investigators try to figure out how it hit merchant vessel
- Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippines merchant vessel off the coast of Japan Saturday
- US defense official said there are seven sailors unaccounted for and three injured, including the commander
- Rescuers are searching for seamen thought to be lost at sea or trapped inside the damaged naval vessel
- The Navy says damage occurred to the starboard side, above and below the Fitzgerald's waterline
- Bryce Benson was appointed Executive Officer of the Fitzgerald in 2015, took over as Commander last month
US Navy rescuers are continuing their search for seven missing sailors lost after an American warship hit a Japanese commercial vessel off the coast of Japan early on Saturday.The 10,000 ton USS Fitzgerald collided with the 29,000 ton ACX Crystal early on Saturday - raising fears the crewmen either fell overboard or are trapped below deck.
And on Saturday, US and Japanese forces launched joint air-and-sean search missions to find them as the heavily damaged $1.5bn guided-missile cruiser limped to its home port of Yokosuka Naval Base, just south of Tokyo.
The owners of the commerical ship reported that all 20 of its Filipino crew were safe.
With the Fitzgerald back at base it is now up to investigators to work out how the two huge vessels collided at night just off the coast of Japan.
Limping home: The USS Fitzgerald makes its way back to Yokosuka Naval Base, just south of Tokyo on Saturday with the help of tug boats
Crashed: The starboard side of the USS Fitzgerald is clearly manged in this picture taken on Saturday as the ship returned to base
This comes as it emerged the captain of the stricken USS Fitzgerald was among those injured during the collision of the warship with the cargo vessel on Saturday.
Captain Bryce Benson was 'transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and is reportedly in stable condition', according to a press statement from the US 7th Fleet.
The Wisconsin native, who took command of the AEGIS-equipped vessel in May of 2016, was med-evacuated along with two other crew members from the ship after the collision with the the container vessel ACX Crystal and is in a stable condition.
Meanwhile, the United States has refused to speculate on the shocking accident despite not having an official ambassador to Japan after Caroline Kennedy returned home and the Trump administration not announcing a replacement.
Collision: Heavy damage is pictured on the US Navy missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald after it collided with a cargo ship near Japan early on Saturday morning
Bryce Benson, has been transferred to U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka and is reportedly in stable condition
The destroyer's commanding officer is Commander Bryce Benson (pictured) who earned his commission through the Naval ROTC program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
The guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald suffered severe damage when the container ship plowed into it at 2.30am local time
Missing: A US defense official confirmed that there are seven sailors unaccounted and that the destroyer suffered flooding in three compartments
The commander of the guided missile destroyer Bryce Benson was injured during the collision. He took command two months ago
An injured sailor is carried by U.S. military personnel, left, and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force members upon arriving at the U.S. Naval base in Yokosuka, southwest of Tokyo
U.S. military personnel prepare to transfer an injured sailor on board USS Fitzgerald, after the Navy destroyer collided with a merchant ship
Rescuers are searching for seven US Sailors thought to be lost at sea or trapped inside the damaged Navy destroyer which collided with a 29,000 ton cargo ship 56 miles off the coast of Japan on Saturday.
The guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald suffered severe damage when the container ship ACX Crystal – which is four times the size of the naval vessel – plowed into it at 2.30am local time.
Aerial footage shows the crushed exterior of the 9,000 ton $1.5billion destroyer which is commanded by Commander Benson, who took over in May.
Japanese coast guard spokesman Yoshihito Nakamura said the rescuers are searching for the seamen who were thought to have been thrown into the sea or possibly trapped inside damaged sections of the destroyer. Two crew berthings and one engineering main space have been flooded.
Three aboard the destroyer were medically evacuated, including the ship's commanding officer, Cmdr. Benson, who was reportedly in stable condition after being airlifted to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, the Navy said.
The other two injured were transferred to the hospital for lacerations and bruises, while other injuries were being assessed, it said.
'It was a was real fight by crew to keep the ship afloat. Our concerns now are with ship mates; seven sailors missing and 2 evacuees. When the news came we were all focused on the safety of or ship and the crew,' a naval spokesman in Yokosuka told DailyMail.com. 'We at the base are still reeling from the events.'
Course: This was the approximate route of the ACX Crystal before it collided with the USS Fitzgerald on Saturday morning
The ACX Crystal's course shows that it performed a rapid U-turn at speed and then turned to head back to Tokyo - at which point it collided with the USS Fitzgerald
The president offered his thoughts and condolences to those affected by the USS Fitzgerald collision
Most of the more than 200 sailors aboard would have been asleep in their berths, some of which were reportedly flooded.
At full strength the Fitzgerald - a 154-meter long Aegis destroyer weighing 8,315 tons - has a crew of 331 sailors.
It is unclear how fast the destroyer was going when it collided with the merchant ship. The area is particularly busy with sea traffic, said Yutaka Saito, of the coast guard.
The 7th Fleet revealed that the ship is proceeding back to her home port of Yokosuka under her own power although her propulsion is limited. The USS Dewey - another destroyer - and two Navy tugs have been dispatched to provide assistance. Naval aircraft are also being readied.
The Fitzgerald arrived back in Tokyo on Saturday.
The ACX Crystal, which is 222.6 meters long and weighs 29,060 tons, is now on route to Tokyo with superficial damage and no reports of casualties.
Damage to the US destroyer is catastrophic, with the ship sustaining damage on starboard side above and below waterline. Helicopter and spy satellite footage shows considerable damage to the starboard of the Aegis destroyer.
Listing: The $1.5billion missile destroyer is listing to the side and is taking on water after the violent collision
Damage: Damage to the bow of the 29,000 ton cargo ship ACX Crystal after it collided with the USS Fitzgerald
The 29,000 ton ACX Crystal is much larger than the 9,000 ton USS Fitzgerald. The cargo ship appears to have hit the destroyer head on
According to the US Navy, the collision occurred 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, off the coast of Japan (above)
'U.S. and Japanese support from the Navy, Maritime Self Defense Force and Coast Guard are in the area to ensure that the Sailors on USS Fitzgerald have the resources they need to stabilize their ship,' said Adm. John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations in a statement.
'As more information is learned, we will be sure to share to it with the Fitzgerald families and when appropriate the public. Thank you for your well wishes and messages of concern. All of our thoughts and prayers are with the Fitzgerald crew and their families.
The collision hit the crew's sleeping quarters squarely on, and there are fears that lives may have been lost.
Footage taken of the crash by Japanese media outlet NHK shows damage to the starboard side - above and below the waterline of the destroyer - but the Navy says the extent 'is being determined'.
According to marine tracking websites, the Philippine-flagged cargo ship was on its way to Tokyo.
It is unclear how much warning the crew had that a collision was imminent.
Footage also captured a person in a stretcher being taken up to a helicopter from the deck of the USS Fitzgerald. The injured sailor had a head injury.
Following the collision, the Navy requested the assistance of the Japanese Coast Guard, with cutters Izunami and Kano on station.
The cargo ship (pictured) weighs 29,000 tons and is more than 740 feet long. According to marine tracking websites, it was on its way to Tokyo
According to Japanese broadcaster NHK, one person is injured and seven are unaccounted for (damage pictured above)
The ACX Crystal received minimal damage to the port bow (pictured). According to marine tracking websites, the Philippine-flagged cargo ship was on its way to Tokyo
The USS Fitzgerald (pictured in August 2012) was commissioned in 1995 and is based in Yokosuka, according to the Navy
'Just heard the sweetest voice and saw a wonderful face. He's okay. Thank you all for the prayers,' Rita Schrimsher of Athens, Alabama, tweeted after speaking with her 23-year-old grandson Jackson Schrimsher, a sailor aboard the Fitzgerald, via Facetime.
'It could have been worse so we're grateful,' she said by phone.
In a statement, Admiral Scott Swift, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, said: 'Right now we are focused on two things: the safety of the ship and the well-being of the Sailors.
'We thank our Japanese partners for their assistance.'
The destroyer's commanding officer, Commander Bryce Benson, earned his commission through the Naval ROTC program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
In November 2015, Benson reported as the Executive Officer of the USS Fitzgerald as part of the Surface Navy’s Command Fleet Up program.
On May 13 this year, he relieved Commander Robert Shu as the Commanding Officer of the destroyer.
According to a report from the Navy Times, Executive Officer Commander Sean Babbitt has assumed command after the collision.
The USS Fitzgerald - whose motto is 'Protect Your People' - was commissioned in 1995 and is based in Yokosuka, according to the Navy, at a cost of $1.48billion.
Its crew includes roughly 33 officers, 38 chief petty officers and 291 enlisted members of the Navy.
The Fitzgerald completed $21 million in upgrades and repairs in February, and recently made a port call to the US Navy’s Subic Bay base in the Philippines and conducted patrols in the South China Sea.
The ship’s crew used the stop to conduct some minor repairs with the assistance of Philippine companies.
Ryan Barenklau, from the Washington-based intelligence company Strategic Sentinel, told DailyMail.com: 'This is a very tragic event. There is not much information currently on how an advanced destroyer could have collided with a massive cargo ship, but I am confident that there is a reasonable explanation and I am sure we will hear what that is in the coming days.
'The ship was hit near 2 berthings and 1 engineering compartment. It is likely that the berthings had crewman sleeping due to the early hour of the incident.'
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