Navy ship runs aground in Black Sea

SAMSUN, Turkey, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A U.S. Navy frigate stationed in the Black Sea ran aground last week in a Turkish port where it had gone to refuel.

Naval Forces in Europe confirmed the USS Taylor is being inspected for damage following last Wednesday's incident, in which the ship ran aground while preparing to moor in the port of Samsun, 240 miles southwest of Sochi across the sea.

“The extent of the damage is still being assessed,” Capt. Brenda Malone, spokeswoman for U.S. Naval Forces Europe. “An initial survey discovered that there was some damage to the propeller blades, but there appears to be no damage to the hull.”

She added that none of the ship's crew was injured in the incident, and that it was able to moor without further incident. About 175 gallons of fuel leaked from near the propeller, but was contained by an oil boom and has been cleaned up.

Both the USS Taylor and the USS Mount Whitney, an amphibious command ship, have been stationed in the Black Sea since before the beginning of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, a response to heightened security threats at the Games.

Pentagon officials acknowledged the ships were positioned to help evacuate American citizens in the event of an incident at the Olympics.

[ABC News]