Singapore-Led SAR Ops To Find Missing Crew of USS John McCain Continues

By Massita Ahmad SINGAPORE, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Search and Rescue (SAR) operations led by Singapore to find the 10 crew members of US guided-missile destroyer USS John McCain which collided with merchant vessel Alnic MC early Monday morning, are still ongoing, according to Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). As at 8.30 pm, MPA said the SAR operations are still underway to locate the crew who are unaccounted for. Efforts will continue through the night at sea with Republic of Singapore Navy and Singapore Police Coast Guard (PCG) vessels deployed, even as the US investigates the damaged interior of USS John S McCain, it said. “Our thoughts are with the injured and families of the US Navy crew who are currently still missing following the incident in Singapore territorial waters,” Chief Executive of MPA, Andrew Tan, said in a statement here. “The Singapore authorities will spare no effort to try to find them, and render all possible assistance to our US friends,” said Tan. The authority which led the SAR is investigating the incident. In total, MPA said some 250 personnel from the various Singapore agencies were deployed on the scene for the operations. MPA also said it has been issuing hourly navigational broadcasts to advise passing vessels of the incident and requested them to keep a lookout for any persons in the water. Besides assets deployed by Singapore, MPA said Singapore accepted an offer of assistance from the Indonesian authorities who deployed a helicopter to search the northern coast line of Bintan island, Indonesia. The US also deployed their own assets to take part in the ongoing SAR efforts, said MPA. USS John S McCain is currently berthed at CNB and Alnic MC is now at Singapore’s eastern anchorage for inspections, it said. -- BERNAMA