The brotherhood of the sea.

Take that, you nasty old Sea Hag!

The British device got to the scene first. In the end, the U.S. machines weren't deployed, although American divers worked with the British crew that freed the mini-sub.

Beginning at 10:50 a.m. Sunday, the Super Scorpio labored for hours to cut the cables - and even got some fishing net caught on it. But eventually it sliced through all the binds.

Then came the most nerve-racking minutes: The sub was free, but for two or three minutes was unable to rise. Finally, it moved, and within three minutes its red-and-white striped hull broke the surface, at 4:26 p.m.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, aboard a nearby ship, leaned forward and pumped his clenched hands. He later praised the international effort as the essence of "the brotherhood of the sea."

Royal Navy Cmdr. Ian Riches, who directed the Scorpio's work, said his team was "over the moon that we have got these guys out alive." There was about six hours of oxygen left in the sub, Russian officials told him.
(Thanks to Yahoo!News and TimesLeader.com)