Authorities arrested three men after spotting a strange-looking submarine bobbing Friday near the docked Queen Mary 2. The three were being questioned, but authorities said there was no indication terrorism was involved.
"We can summarize today's incident as marine mischief," Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, adding that detectives will examine the Queen Mary 2 to ensure its integrity. The submarine "is the creative craft of three adventuresome individuals. It does not pose any terrorist threat."
The Long Island men built a replica of an early submarine and tried to test it, WNBC reported, adding that currents carried it away towards the large cruise ship.
A detective noticed the vessel, with one person inside, and an inflatable boat carrying two people, near a security zone around the luxury ocean liner docked at the cruise ship terminal on the East River in Brooklyn.
The vessel was partly submerged and “appeared to be designed for underwater navigation,” the police department said in a news release. Charges were expected.
Photographs showed a vessel that resembled a diving bell, with a hatch on top.
WABC-TV reported that it was equipped with oxygen tanks.
