Two of the civilians on a US submarine that collided with a Japanese trawler - one of whom pulled levers to surface the sub - denied today they distracted the crew and contributed to the tragedy.
Mr Todd Thoman and Mr John Hall praised the US crew for their conduct before and after the incident last week off Hawaii's coast and said they believed all the correct procedures had been followed.
Nine people are still missing from the Japanese fishing trawler, the Ehime Maru, which sank in about 1,800 feet (548 metres) of water nine miles (14 km) off Diamond Head, Hawaii. Hopes for a rescue are fading.
Mr Thoman and Mr Hall were among a group of 16 civilians on board the USS Greeneville, which was on a brief training mission when it surfaced beneath a Japanese fishing trawler.
Asked by the Todayshow on US network NBCwhether their presence was a distraction, Mr Thoman said: "I adamantly deny this is the case . . . it was nothing but professional and not one thing got done that the commanding officer was not aware of."
US Defense Secretary Mr Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday there was no evidence the civilians contributed to the accident.
Navy officials have said two civilians who were at control positions were under strict supervision when the submarine rose rapidly to the surface, hitting the Japanese vessel.