Damaged Canadian submarine HMCS Chicoutimi has been taken in tow and is now heading slowly back to port for assessment and repairs.

A Canadian naval officer, Lt Chris Saunders, died following a fire on board the submarine, formerly HMS Upholder of the Royal Navy.

Two other men were also airlifted by Royal Navy Sea King from the boat as it floundered in a North Atlantic storm, and the three were flown to hospital in Sligo, in the Republic of Ireland, as Lt Saunders’ condition deteriorated.

His death was announced by Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin on Wednesday.

Chicoutimi has been drifting without propulsion power around 100 miles out into the Atlantic since Tuesday afternoon, but despite the presence of a number of rescue ships, including frigates HMS Montrose and HMS Marlborough, and tanker RFA Wave Knight, it proved impossible to get a tow line across to the boat as it was tossed about by 25ft waves and gale-force winds

HMS Montrose has been acting as the on-scene command and control centre for the rescue.

But as conditions abated yesterday, some of the 54 crewmen from the submarine were transferred across to the rescue ships for food, showers and a break from the violent motion of the submarine – such vessels are not designed for prolonged surface transits in stormy weather, and are prone to severe rolling.

Royal Navy medical personnel and engineers went aboard the Chicoutimi to help as soon as conditions allowed.

A tow line was finally passed from the Anglian Prince, a tug chartered by the Coastguard, at around 8.30pm yesterday.

Also on the scene was the US Navy submarine support ship Carolyn Chouest and British aviation training ship RFA Argus.

Chicoutimi is the last of four former Upholder-class boats sold to the Canadian Navy by the British Government in 1998 and overhauled to Canadian specifications by BAE Systems at Barrow-in-Furness – the same yard in which submarines were built between 1986 and 1991.

Chicoutimi was just hours into her transit from Clyde Naval Base at Faslane to Nova Scotia in Canada when a fire broke out – reported to have been caused by a short circuit on an electrical panel.

Link to HMS Montrose fact card
Link to HMS Marlborough fact card
Link to RFA Argus fact card