Kursk crew face cold, dark, scary wait

Sailors at work inside an Oscar-class submarine

In this story: Lack of light Lucky escape Cold-water shock RELATED STORIES, SITES

By Craig Francis
CNN.com writer

Hypothermia, disorientation, gloomy light and the possible cries of pain from injured fellow submariners will be among the litany of problems facing the surviving crew members of the stricken Russian nuclear submarine, Kursk.

Although exact conditions inside the vessel are still not known, the icy waters of the Barents Sea will be taking their toll on the crew.

The risk of hypothermia would be exacerbated if the suspected explosion in the torpedo chamber resulted in leaks or partial flooding of the vessel that left the crew wet.

Clifford Beal, editor-in-chief of Jane's Defence Weekly, told CNN.com the sources in the Russian military had confirmed the submarine was listing at an angle of about 60 degrees to starboard.

"Not only will the crew of the Kursk be cold, scared and isolated, but they will be very disorientated as well. With the vessel listing so dramatically on the seabed, the crew will be walking on the walls," said Beal.

"It would probably be a real nightmare," he added.

Lack of light

Although the rescue mission being co-ordinated on the surface is still a race against the clock, Beal said the surviving 116 crew members have still got another seven days of air left.

"Their concerns will be more immediate than that at the moment, such as tending to those injured in the blast or during the crash dive. Residual heat in the submarine would disappear very quickly in these Arctic waters so the crew are likely to be huddling together for warmth and trying to stay dry," said Beal.

If, as expected, the vessel is operating on emergency generator power, the crew's problems would be compounded by a lack of light.

The emergency generators produce a very dull light and it is likely torchlight would be necessary to illuminate the gloom inside a submarine marooned at such dark depths.

Naval expert Norman Friedman told CNN that a build-up of carbon dioxide would add to their discomfort.

"The odds are the air is getting kind of thick. Things smell pretty bad, the scrubbers that usually take the carbon dioxide out of the air are out of business. And whatever smells were in the sub aren't being suppressed," said Friedman.

The biggest boon to the mental well-being of those trapped in the 154-metre long Kursk would be contact with the outside world.

"Everyone is sort of nervous -- the nervousness and unpleasantness has to be the main thing," said Friedman.

"On the other hand if they actually have this contact with the outside, that would give a sense of hope, a connection to the outside world, so that wouldn't be nearly as bad as if they were just sitting there with absolutely nothing being done."

Having been in a similar situation himself, Gerd Kelbling, 85, sympathises fully with the crew of the Kursk.

A German U-boat commander during World War II, Kelbling's U-593 attack submarine sank to a depth of 240 metres beneath the Mediterranean waves after coming under attack from two Allied destroyers in December 1943.

The Kursk, an Oscar-class submarine like this one, was taking part in exercises

"When the people are on the bottom and can't do anything, it's a terrifying situation psychologically," Kelbling told Reuters news agency.

"It's different when you can do something. That makes it easier to deal with such a situation. You think all the time that this is the end when you're down in the water. Naturally you just can't get away from such thoughts," he said.

Recalling what he believed to be his last hours, 57 years ago, Kelbling said his U-boat was expected to be crushed, unable to withstand the pressure below a depth of 220 metres.

"Normally it would not have survived the pressure but it did hold out. But at the last minute the petty officer managed to use compressed air to raise the sub again," he said.

The crew of the Kursk, while hoping for a similar outcome to Kelbling's escape, would be aware that a rescue effort based on evacuation in smaller submarines would be hindered by the angle at which they are resting, preventing rescue vehicles docking on the top of the stricken submarine.

"The Russian rescue craft are not as sophisticated as some other country's equipment, such as the DSRVs rescue submarines used by the U.S. Navy," said Beal.

Cold-water shock

If a depleted oxygen supply prompted the crew to contemplate heading to the surface through the escape hatches -- and the damaged vessel would allow it -- there appears very little reason for the crew to feel optimistic of survival.

"At a certain point they would have to make a last-ditch attempt to live but their chances would be slim for a number of reasons," said Beal.

"First is the shock of the water temperature, although special suits may help if they are available for all."

Beal also addressed the problem of nitrogen bubbles forming in the bloodstream near joints of the body during a rapid ascent to the surface. He said: "Then there is the effect of the bends, which in an ascent from 120 metres would be definite and, if not treated in a barometric chamber within minutes, would prove fatal.

"With so many people trying to escape, it would be very difficult for the Russians to provide the necessary facilities 150 kilometres out to sea," he said.

There is also the possibility that the high-water pressure would crush a person's lungs in any attempt to surface from such a depth.

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