Seen on Jan. 22, the minesweeper USS GUARDIAN remains stranded on Tubattaha Reef in the Sulu Sea. Here, a U.S. Navy P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft flies overhead, surveying not only the ship but also looking for signs of fuel leaks. The Navy survey ship USNS BOWDITCH (T-AGS 62) stands by at left, while the Philippine Coast Guard ship BRP CORREGIDOR observes the scene at right. (U.S. Navy photo by Aircrewman Tactical Helicopters 3rd Class Geoffrey Trundell)
A US Navy minesweeper stuck on a coral reef in a Unesco heritage site off the Philippine coast is badly damaged and taking in water, officials say.
The USS Guardian struck the reef in the Sulu Sea south-east of Palawan island last Thursday after completing a port call at the former Subic Bay base.
US officials say a salvage operation could take weeks to complete.
The reef is in the Tubbataha National Marine Park, designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco.
There had been hopes that the ship could simply be towed off the reef, but officials said the vessel was too badly damaged for that and that the first priority was to pump fuel out of the ship as it was being battered by rough waters.
Read more ....@ BBC News - US Navy ship aground on Philippine reef 'taking in water'
My question is; why or how does a modern warship equipped with the latest detection gear NOT see a reef that is clearly mapped and visible from a distance? Where were the lookouts? What about sonar? In any case, the captain and his senior officers should be looking for a new line of work in the very near future.