"Very few assets in the world that can go down that deep." Expert says rescue would be complex mission
Emily Wong The US military is moving military and commercial assets to help in the ongoing search efforts for the missing submersible, according to the Coast Guard and US Transportation Command.
The Navy’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving is working with US Transportation Command to bring “more capable assets” into the search, Capt. Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said Tuesday. The assets will be moved first to St. John’s in Canada and then taken to the search area.
The Navy command has advanced remotely operated dive vehicles capable of operating at the extreme depths required in this search effort.
“The Navy is working to coordinate assets with the USCG and the unified command. We will give you more details as we get assets and personnel in place,” according to a Navy spokesperson.
There will also be three flights from Buffalo, New York, to St. John's today carrying commercial cargo that may be able to assist in the search and rescue efforts, a spokesman for TRANSCOM told CNN.
It is unclear at this time what assets or equipment are on the flights or to whom they belong.
“U.S. Transportation Command is coordinating authorized planning and support of DoD assistance and transport of assets in the location and recovery of a disabled commercial-owned manned submersible in the Atlantic Ocean,” a TRANSCOM spokesperson said in a statement.
The defense department is also assisting, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said.
Two C-130 aircraft were assisting in search and rescue flights over the area on Monday, and an Air National Guard C-130 would be joining the efforts Tuesday, she said.
“[B]y the end of today, we would have committed three C-130s to conducting search and rescue flights,” Singh said. “In addition to that, the Navy has been in touch with the Coast Guard and is working to provide personnel such as subject matter experts and assets as quickly as possible.”
“I believe that we are doing everything we can in terms of surveying the area and that's been the focus of the department right now,” she added.
