Join the LR5 on a rescue mission 30 meters below
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| The mother ship, GEOFJORD, has arrived to the area with the distressed submarine. In short time the LR5 is ready to be launched and to begin the 30 meters long voyage to
UTSIRA: a Norwegian submarine that lies dead at the bottom of Kattegat.
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 An A-frame launches the LR5 from the mother ship; a special crane that enables the LR5 to be launched in even fairly rough sea. As soon as the LR5 is in the sea she’ll be released from the crane by a support diver.
As soon LR5 is released she is ready to begin her voyage to the deep.
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 The visibility varies throughout oceans. Nevertheless the LR5 is equipped with a window enabling the pilot, under the right circumstances, to have a visual of the distressed submarine. The visibility in Kattegat this day is close to zero. So it’s not a visual, but a characteristic metallic ‘klonk’, that indicates that LR5 has reached
UTSIRA.The LR5 explores the distressed submarine until a suitable hatch is found. As it is found the mating procedure initiates. It is the 1st pilots task to position the skirt of LR5 in the right position at the hatch. It is a job that takes a lot of concentration, as the pilot has to manoeuvre in order to adjust the vessels movements to the current in the sea. Today the speed of the current is 1.7 knt. which is a rather strong current when the job is to manoeuvre a submarine with the accuracy of a few inches. At last the LR5 is in position and it creates an airtight seal between its skirt and the UTSIRA. The seal is obtained by pushing the water from the skirt into the UTSIRA. As the skirt has been emptied the LR5 is ready to receive the crew from the UTSIRA, and both submarine opens their hatches. LR5 is able to transport 16 people to surface, so in order to rescue all from UTSIRA it has to make the voyage twice. But today the crew is to stay in UTSIRA as we reverse the mating procedure and detach from UTSIRA and head for surface, light and bright sunshine. At the surface the diver is waiting for us in a Zodiac, he jumps to our hull and connects LR5 to the A-frame. Safely back on board the mother ship LR5 gets unrigged and as a reward of her deeds in the depth she gets her batteries recharged. And then she ready for another mission somewhere on short notice. |
The crew on the LR5 consists of three persons: 1st pilot 2nd pilot and Rescue Chamber Operator. It is these three men whom operate the LR5 to depth above 400 meters and at these depths rescue and surface crews from distressed submarines.