Posted by Kenneth ward We were transiting from Unitas 78 to New London. While in South America, the drain station isolation valve in the potable water valve station had rotted out. We did not have the parts on board so I had taken a DC plug and pounded into the valve body. I then wrapped it with Band-It strapping. A jury-rig for sure. So the Scamp was headed to her new home in New London after six months on Unitas. The nucs had repaired some piece of equipment that required a dive to test depth to clear the work. Unknown to the Scamp crew was that the hull and back-up valves for the drain system were leaking. As the Scamp went deep the drain main pressurized. We were coming back up from test depth when . . . It was 3:00 a.m. and I was asleep in my bunk across from the potable water valve station when the DC cone blew out of the valve body. It blew the door of the locker and a stream of brackish water started to flood lower level ops. I woke up soaking wet. Not good on a submarine. I jumped out of the bunk and started screaming flooding. The watch was in the crew's head. he came running. The stream of water flooding lower level ops started to diminish as the pressure in the drain line dropped. I jumped in front of the valve station and try to put my hands over the stream of water. I remember my shorts washed down my legs. I was naked and trying to keep the Caribbean Ocean from flooding. Dumb move I suppose. I remember other guys pulling mattress over the battery hatch. The stream of water tapered off and the word that the flooding was secured was passed to the control room. We never did do an emergency blow. I've always wondered about that. It sure scared the hell out of me. Kenneth Ward, MM2/SS
on 5/30/2003, 3:36 pm
216.160.164.73
My scariest moment aboard the Scamp
Denver, Colorado
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