Underwater Subs Make Rare Public Appearance

From KITV (Honolulu): Underwater Subs Make Rare Public Appearance
HONOLULU -- Twin brothers, Aaron and Ben Hilo-Nguyen, stood wide-eyed at the sight of sister subs, Pisces 4 and Pisces 5.

"I like underwater sea stuff, especially ships, and also salvaging ship wrecks," Ben Hilo-Nguyen said.

"There are treasures and hidden secrets about ships," Aaron Hilo-Nguyen said.

Pisces crew member Terry Kerby explained the sub's deep-dive history which dates back over 30 years. The most famous underwater discovery came in 2002: an 80-foot-long Japanese midget submarine.

"This is the first casualty of the Pacific War. It was sunk, an hour and 15 minutes before the air attacks on Pearl Harbor, by the U.S.S. Ward," Kerby said.

Each Pisces undersea research sub weighs 14 tons and can accommodate a three-person crew, diving as far down as 6,500 feet. Researchers said there is no limit to what the Pisces may find.

"A lot of observations these days are with remote-controlled vehicles; robots that are tethered down. There's a lot of scientists that feel it's important to be there, and this is the way to get here," Kerby said.

Twin brothers Aaron and Ben Hilo-Nguyen said they dream of a future career diving the deep, watery depths.

"Yeah when I turn 18 years or older," Aaron Hilo-Nguyen said.