The US ocean-survey vessel Bruce Heezen has discovered “a strange object” in the sea off the central province of Phu Yen which it thinks is an American aircraft that crashed during the Vietnam War.

The US ocean-survey vessel Bruce Heezen at the Da Nang Port on June 24.

The ship, which has been participating in a search for remains of American servicemen missing in action (MIA) in Vietnam’s coastal waters, landed at Da Nang Port on June 24 afternoon to welcome a group of Vietnamese and foreign journalists before returning to Vietnam’s sea on June 25.

On this occasion, Lieutenant Colonel Todd Emoto, commander of the US Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s (JPAC) Detachment in Hanoi, and scientists on the USNS Bruce Heezen stated that in the 12-day search for MIA, while searching a 4sq.km water area of Phu Yen, they discovered a “strange object”, which they think belongs to a downed American helicopter.

The ship’s captain Robert Reish said: “This is the first time the Vietnamese government has allowed a US naval ship to search underwater. The use of the US navy’s ocean-survey ship for JPAC humanitarian search activities in Vietnam can remarkably speed up the discovery of underwater locations of downed airplanes.”

He said that in the last 12 days, the Bruce Heezen had conducted searches in the waters off Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen and Quang Nam provinces in central Vietnam.

A scientist on the Bruce Heezen ship shows the place where the strange object was found.

The object that was discovered by the US ship in Phu Yen waters.

Captain Robert Reish introduces his ship to journalists.

Hai Chau