USS Providence's periscope snags fishing net in Mediterranean

A U.S. submarine snagged a fishing net with its periscope 40 miles west of Sicily on Saturday.

After it caught the net, the USS Providence, a Connecticut-based nuclear sub, surfaced and attempted to contact a nearby Italian fishing boat, said Cmdr. Cate Mueller, 6th Fleet spokeswoman. The 40-foot-long boat, the S Anna, didn’t respond and continued fishing.

The incident occurred at 3:30 a.m. Saturday in international waters.

The USS La Salle, the 6th Fleet flagship, was nearby and launched a helicopter to scan the area. It also deployed a small boat to talk to the fishermen.

“We got over there, everything was fine,” Mueller said. “They did snag a fishing net, but there was no contact with the boat.”

The submarine’s propulsion system was not affected.

The Providence, a 360-foot Los Angeles attack-class sub, is continuing routine operations in the Mediterranean.

It was one of several submarines that launched Tomahawk missiles against Iraq this spring.