U.K. Nuclear Submarine Grounded, Later Freed

Britain's newest nuclear-powered submarine ran aground off the coast of Scotland Friday but officials say the incident was not serious and no one was injured.

The 328-foot-long (100-meter-long) HMS Astute hit rocks off the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland, early Friday and was stuck there for hours until Royal Navy vessels towed it to deeper waters during high tide.

The billion pound ($1.57 billion) vessel, one of Britain's fleet of 11 submarines powered by nuclear reactors and launched in 2007, was undergoing sea trials in Scotland when the accident happened, the Ministry of Defense said.

"This is a not a nuclear incident," the ministry said in a statement. "We are responding to the incident and can confirm that there are no injuries to personnel and the submarine remains watertight. There is no indication of any environmental impact."

Paul Yoxon, who according to the New York Times is a wildlife biologist on the Isle of Skye who tracks footage of rescued otters being released into the wild, caught video of the submarine and posted it on YouTube. (See video below).

It is not known whether the sub, which can carry 38 Tomahawk cruise missiles and Spearfish torpedoes, had any weapons on board, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Defense workers were at the scene to assist the submarine's crew, the ministry said.

The submarine is armed with Spearfish torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles. It is powered by a nuclear reactor that will never need refueling during its 25-year operational life, according to the ministry.

A crew of around 120 are typically aboard the ship.