British Navy helps crippled Canadian sub

A British Navy frigate reached a crippled Canadian submarine yesterday and put a doctor on board the vessel, which was left drifting in heavy seas off the Irish coast after its engines were knocked out by a serious fire.

A Royal Navy helicopter airlifted three injured men off the HMCS Chicoutimi, but one died of injuries.

The Chicoutimione, one of four used submarines that Canada bought from Britain, was on its maiden voyage from Scotland to Canada when the fire forced it to the surface.

There was no hope of restarting the diesel engines so the submarine, last night 160km off the west coast of Ireland, will be towed back to Scotland.