Sunday Morning News

Navy Video Shows Ehime Maru Sitting Upright at Bottom of the Ocean

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KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Navy video of the sunken Japanese trawler shows the ship sitting upright at the bottom of the Pacific, and the fishing and research vessel sank nine days ago after a collision with the nuclear submarine USS Greeneville just off the island of Oahu.

Now, the Navy says it will open a formal inquiry.

CNN's Martin Savidge is following the story for us from Honolulu and Martin, it's pretty chilly when you see that videotape.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is very haunting video. Good morning to you, Kyra.

As you look at that video, it is rather startling that the vessel is not on top of the water instead of 2,000 feet below. The U.S. Navy released this video last night and it comes from the remote controlled submersible that is known as Scorpio 2. And the first images that you begin to see are the ones that are most strike and that is, of course, as that ROV comes up on the stern of the vessel itself and you can see the name written in Japanese letters there, the Ehime Maru, which is the name of the Japanese training vessel.

No sign of any damage, really, that you can see. No apparent obvious marks of the collision that took place. The Navy says that even looking at this video, it cannot determine if the vessel is intact, although as we look at it and you look at the deck housing there and you look at the railings and then eventually you move around to the bow, it does appear that the vessel is very much intact 2,000 feet down, 1,000 yards away from where it had its collision on the surface. And the submersible today that took these images is going to be joined by another one which is known as the deep drone. It's a larger, more capable submersible.

The U.S. Navy says it has not at this point committed to trying to salvage the training vessel. However, the U.S. government says that it is carefully and very seriously looking into that very possibility and they -- meaning the drones -- will continue their work throughout the day today.

Last night, the Japanese family members of the nine people that are still unaccounted for from the crew were brought here to the Coast Guard base on San Island (ph) and arriving very grim faced they were given the opportunity to look at that very same video.

You can imagine, perhaps only barely, though, the thoughts that would be going through their minds. In a lot of ways it would be like a parent arriving on the scene of a horrific car accident in which their child was involved, their first real glimpse and their first understanding of reality setting in.

Earlier in the day yesterday, the commander of the Pacific Fleet announced that there was going to be a court of inquiry. Thomas Fargo said that this is something that is going to begin on Thursday. And it is a very serious matter. In fact, it is the first step in what could be the most serious form of punishment in the U.S. Navy, and that would actually be the convening of a court martial. The Navy has decided to call in three members of the commanding crew of the USS Greeneville. That would be the commanding officer, Scott Waddle, the X.O. or executive officer and the OOD, the officer on deck, a lieutenant junior grade.

Now, the Navy describes this as the most serious form of administrative investigation.

ADM. THOMAS FARGO, U.S. NAVY: And the executive officer and the officer on deck of the USS Greeneville at the time of the accident have been designated as parties to the inquiry. They will be afforded their due process rights, including the right to be represented by counsel.

The court is directed to inquire into all facets of the collision. They'll make recommended administrative or disciplinary action if appropriate, as well as make any other recommendations as to the circumstances surrounding the incident.

SAVIDGE: This court of inquiry will be open to the media, will be open to the public and, of course, we know at stake here is not just the loss of a vessel, not just the unaccounting for of nine crew members and perhaps the fate of three Navy officers, but it also could have a direct bearing and impact on international relations between the United States and Japan.

Kyra?

PHILLIPS: All right, Martin Savidge, thanks so much for that update.

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