Safeguard officers put on shore duty
as probe into diver’s death continues
By Wayne Specht, Misawa
bureau chief
Navy officials on Tuesday temporarily reassigned the commanding
officer of the USS Safeguard to shore duty while an investigation into the death of one of
the ship’s divers continues.
Lt. Cmdr. Ross Mitchell, who took command of the Sasebo-based salvage
ship last December, was ordered to shore duty by Rear Adm. Mark Edwards, commander of the
Logistics Group, Western Pacific. Edwards is the convening officer of the investigation.
Also ordered to shore duty were the Safeguard’s executive
officer, Lt. William Block, the ship’s master diver, Senior Chief Petty Officer
Jimmie Plummer, and the dive leading petty officer.
Navy officials would not release the petty officer’s name
because it’s not a matter of public record. “The investigation is still ongoing
and it is premature to discuss any possible outcomes,” said Lt. j.g. Chuck Bell, a
7th Fleet spokesman.
He characterized the temporary reassignments as “administrative
in nature.”
Seaman Matthew Draughon, 21, of Hendersonville, N.C., was lost May 5
while taking part in a night salvage dive near Ripsaw Range with another Safeguard diver,
Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Gordon.
They were recovering debris of a Misawa F-16 fighter that crashed
into the Pacific Ocean just east of the range on April 3. Draughon disappeared on what was
to be the Safeguard’s last day of salvage operations which began April 21.
A massive air and sea search by U.S. and Japanese forces failed to
turn up the diver. Japanese fishermen discovered Draughon’s body near the outlet of
the Takase River about half a mile south of the range on June 5.
Immediately after the mishap, Navy officials said both divers became
fouled in the vicinity of the Safeguard’s anchor. Gordon was recovered and treated
aboard the ship.
Bell said Lt. Cmdr. Paul Lyons, recently assigned to Amphibious Group
One in Okinawa, will serve as the Safeguard’s commanding officer “until a
permanent replacement arrives.”
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