Oxygen reserves in deep-sea vessels last five days for a crew of four - expert
RIA Novosti
05/08/2005 14:08 ST. PETERSBURG, August 5 (RIA Novosti) - Oxygen reserves in submersibles like the one now grounded near Kamchatka (Far East) can last for five days for a crew of four, a designer of the first standard and rescue submersible vessels said.
Commenting on the accident near the Kamchatka coast, Avrely Nikitinsky said, "Oxygen reserves in such vessels are designed to last for five days. The standard crew for such vessels is four people. If there are more people onboard, oxygen may run out earlier. The crew will have to use the oxygen carefully."
The scientist also said the crew of the vessel must not be put in motion in this emergency situation.
According to Nikitinsky, a TV-guided vessel should immediately be sent to the site to examine the area and find out the reason for the emergency.
"We cannot waste time and should quickly establish what [the submersible] got caught up in. If the vessel has become entangled in something, it will have to be disentangled by cutting it off," the expert said.
Nikitinsky said sinking submarines have been rescued before in Russia. For example, in the mid-1970s, a submersible got caught in a fishing net and was sinking until a TV-guided vessel cut off the rope and the submersible was rescued.
On Thursday, an AS-28 submersible with seven people onboard sank during a training operation 75 km south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (the major city in Kamchatka). The deep-sea vessel, which is 13.5 meters long and 5.7 meters high, is at a depth of 190 meters.
Initial reports suggest that the accident occurred after a fishing net got entangled span around the screw of the vessel.
Sonic communication has been established with the crew.
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