HMCS Chicoutimi Findings Released

The official investigation report from the Board of Inquiry into the HMCS Chicoutimi fire officially cleared the Captain and crew of all criminal wrong-doing. The explanation that Vice Adm. Bruce MacLean, Canadian CNO, gave as was as to "why" was interesting:

"It was a unique event, an isolated event... It was not (foreseen), but it did create a significant vulvernability that we had to deal with."

Kind of like running into an uncharted seamount, maybe?

Highlights from the BOI report include:

-Fire was the result of sea water splashing on high-voltage cables.
-No one to blame for death of Lieut. Chris Saunders.
-Submarine was safe and ready to proceed to sea at the time of the accident.
-Submarine emergency breathing system, masks and oxygen hoses to be updated.
-Navy to develop better firefighting training.

I join the rest of the world-wide submarine community in extending my continued condolences to the family and shipmates of Lt. Chris Saunders, and hope that this report gives them some degree of closure.