USS Saratoga ferry boat capsizing, December 1990

[navychief]

I was on the USS Saratoga, (CV-60), during Desert Shield, assigned to VFA-83 (Strike Fighter Squadron Eighty-Three). On December 22, 1990, I was on liberty in Haifa, Israel; and had just gotten to sleep in a hotel room. I was wakened by loud knocking at my door. It was the Shore Patrol. They were going to all the hotels, telling crewmembers to return to Fleet Landing, as an emergency muster had been called. Upon reaching Fleet Landing, it was apparent something bad had happened. The word quickly spread that one of the ferry boats (used to transport sailors from the ship to Fleet Landing) had capsized in the rough waters. The rumor was that all but 2 of the sailors who had gone overboard had been rescued. Unfortunately, when the muster was completed, it was determined that 22 sailors were unaccounted for. UDT divers from the Saratoga immediately began searching for bodies. Additionally, the ferry boat was raised. One of the missing and presumed drowned, was AN Randy Neel, NM who had worked for me in VFA-83's Operations Dept. Later the next day, I was asked if I would escort Randy's body back to the U.S. I said yes, and the same day I joined 21 other escorts and were flown by H-53 to a location in Haifa, to identify the bodies and make preparations for shipping them back home. Now, understand that all 22 of us were in dress blue uniform. We had to place the bodies in metal containers, and pack them with ice. By the way, ice is not a common commodity in Israel; leastwise, not large amounts. Afterwards, we flew back to the states in an Airforce C-141. It was, to say the least, a very long, somber flight. All of the metal coffins were strapped to the aircrft cargo deck, complete with American flags draped over them. When we arrived at Dover AFB, the base Commander ordered the PX opened for us to purchase new uniform items, as we needed to be presentable to meet the deceased's families. All of the escorts went different directions, flying with their shipmates' remains to all parts of the U.S. I arrived in Albuquerque on Christmas Day, and met with Randy's parents. Not something I would want to repeat. So much sorrow. I stayed with them until the funeral on New Year's Day, and I flew back to GA, and then on to duty at Saufley Field, FL, as a Test Writer for the AME rating. I have attached an artist's rendering of what the ferry boat sinking may have looked like. It was originally published in an issue of Fathom (a Navy safety magazine). I can only imagine the horror those sailors felt, as they were thrown in the frigid waters, late that night on 22 Dec. 1990.

 

AMEC(AW) Peter Ward

US Navy CPO, Retired.

[+Dagger]

Chief...man that is a nasty story.Sorry for your loss and the loss of the families.

[Weasel Keeper]

Chief, thanks for sharing that with us. It was deeply moving to say the least.

 

<S>

[+pcpilot]

It always sucked losin shipmates, espesially when ya knew them. Our ship, the USS Independance, CV-62, lost 8 men in a single deployment. 3 flight deck accidents and 5 aircrew. On our way across to the Med in '79, an S-3 Viking went down with 3 crewmen, I beleive if I remember right somewhere near the Canary Islands. We lost two more when a searching A6 went down.

On the USS David R. Ray DD-971, we lost 2 seamen in 2 deployments, both to alcohol related accidents. One, Steve, was a 19 year old farmboy from Nebraska who always had a guitar and a grin. He was one of my sailors in deck Division. I had just left their party in Patayo Beach, Thailand when he fell off a balcony and died six days later from major head damage. To this day I beleive the example us Petty Officers set with all our hard drinkin helped to kill that kid. Ill never forget...