ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 10 March 2004
Page Count: 4

Recovery and Identification of the Victims of the Ehime Maru/USS Greeneville Collision at Sea
Shiroma, CY
Forensic Odontologist, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, HI

Lewis, JA
Forensic Odontologist, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, HI

Dunn, KN
Forensic Odontologist, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, HI

Guenthner, KV
Chief Medical Examiner, City and County of Honolulu, HI

(Received 4 October 2003; accepted 4 December 2003)

Abstract

This paper describes the recovery and identification of crew members lost during a collision at sea. On 9 February 2001, south of Honolulu, Hawaii, the Japanese fishing training boat, Ehime Maru was struck by the USS Greeneville (SSN 772), a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine. Witnesses estimate that the vessel sank within 5–10 min after the collision. Nine of the 35 crew members remained unaccounted for after rescue procedures were completed. The U.S. Navy attempted the unprecedented procedure of moving the boat from a depth of 610 m (2000 ft) into shallower waters so that the missing could be located and recovered. Eight of the nine crew members were recovered and identified by their dental records.

Keywords:
forensic science, forensic odontology, forensic pathology, dental identification, Ehime Maru, remotely operated vehicle

Paper ID: JFS2003338
DOI: 10.1520/JFS2003338
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