texas

Texas Sailor Among Missing After USS John McCain Collision

A collision with an oil tanker tore a gaping hole in the destroyer's left rear hull

The mother of a Texas sailor says her son is among the missing seamen who were aboard the USS John S. McCain when it collided with an oil tanker near Singapore.

Cynthia Kimball said Wednesday that her son, 20-year-old John Hoagland, has served aboard the warship since October. She says the Navy told her Tuesday evening that Hoagland remained missing.

The military says five sailors were injured and 10 were missing following the Monday collision. The collision tore a hole in the ship's left rear hull and flooded adjacent compartments, including crew berths and machinery and communication rooms.

Kimball says her son worked as an electronic technician. She says he spent his early years living northeast of Houston and most recently lived in the Central Texas city of Killeen

Adm. Scott Swift, the U.S. Pacific Fleet commander, said in a Tuesday news conference that Navy divers had located the remains of some of those sailors and promised a full investigation into the incident.

Swift issued a statement Wednesday announcing he had relieved Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command."

Navy officials have not yet released the names of the missing sailors.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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