Cherry Hill Grad Among Sailors Missing
CHERRY HILL, N.J. (CBS) — A graduate of Cherry Hill High School East is among the ten sailors missing following the collision involving USS John McCain. CBS3 has learned that Kenneth Smith is one of the missing sailors.
The Navy says divers have found some of the bodies of missing sailors inside flooded compartments.
The ship collided with an oil tanker near Singapore over the weekend.
The compartments were machinery and communication rooms, as well as a crew sleeping area.
While Smith’s mother currently lives in Michigan, his father resides in Cherry Hill.
His pastor offered this statement on his behalf:
“On behalf of the Smith family, I want to thank all those who have expressed concern and offered prayers and support as we await word from the Navy on their son Kenneth. We appreciate the courageous work of the crew in the aftermath of the collision and the on-going rescue efforts.”
The Navy is now temporarily suspending all ship operations worldwide in the wake of the collision.
“I directed a more comprehensive review to ensure that we get to the contributing factors, the root causes, of these incidents,” said Adm. John Richardson, chief of naval operations.
The Navy is looking into whether cyber intrusion or sabotage may have played a part in the collision.
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Author: Alexandria Hoff
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