The Coast Guard is investigating an incident in which a fishing trawler apparently snagged a submerged submarine off the Washington coast and was dragged backward and nearly capsized.

Three crewmen aboard the Westport trawler Recruit were "terrified" when the submerged submarine began pulling the boat through the water, the vessel's captain said Thursday.Coast Guard officials confirmed that Capt. Robert Moore sent a radio message that the Recruit was being "towed astern by a submarine fouled in his nets."

The crew dropped $20,000 worth of equipment over the side to prevent the submarine from pulling their ship under water.

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