Eight crew members injured in USS Kennedy incident

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA - Eight crew members aboard the carrier USS John F. Kennedy were injured during a refueling exercise off the Florida coast, the Navy said Monday.

All of the injuries were believed to be minor, and damage to the JFK and to the ship providing the fuel was reported to be light, Cmdr. John Kirby, spokesman for the Navy's 2nd Fleet in Norfolk, told The Virginian-Pilot for a story on its Web site.

The accident happened between 10:30 and 11 p.m. Sunday, about 100 miles northeast of Jacksonville, Fla.

The injured crew members were believed to be line handlers who were holding onto lines rigged between the Mayport, Fla.-based carrier and the oiler USS Leroy Grumman.

Both ships remained at sea after the accident. Kirby said he did not know if the ships would return to port or complete the Kennedy's sea trial.

Kirby did not immediately return telephone calls seeking additional comment. Other Navy spokesmen said he was the only person answering questions about the accident.

The Kennedy went to sea Sunday morning for two days of sea trials following repairs it needed after it did poorly on an inspection in December and Capt. Maurice Joyce was relieved from its command. Contractors and sailors worked nonstop trying to ready the ship for departure.

The repairs delayed the Kennedy's planned January deployment to the Persian Gulf.

The Norfolk-based carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt cannot leave the Persian Gulf region until the Kennedy arrives to replace it. The Roosevelt had been expected to return home in March after a six-month deployment.