Lowering the water level

<snip>The hole was now even bigger and water continued to stream from the ship. The Aquanauts flapped in distress.
"WHAT NOW?"
<end snip>

The water level dropped so rapidly there were only a few meters left. The suction pulled rubble and broken buildings towards the hole, eventually clogging it enough to hold the remaining water.
“Err...” Said Alex, standing at full height and realising the water level was halfway down his helmet.

Seymour's fish sunk to the very bottom of the huge fishtank they were in, frantically sucking in the remaining water, and wriggling with irritation as the top part of his scaly body felt the chilly breeze of dryness.
“We have to relocate these poor creatures!” Seymour shouted, now sitting on the floor.
“Where to?” Alex asked. “All the water's gone. This was our reserve supply!”
“You mean I won't be able to get that warm shower after all?” Seymour said in anger.
Around them, twenty more of the fish pressed themselves into the shallow water, leaving the Humans to wade around and discuss their fate. Nearby, Pugwash's second in command, the snivelling one he'd called 'Seaman Staines' wheezed and spluttered.
“There is a way...” He said.
Seymour turned. “We're listening.”
“Captain Pugwash had a plan to escape. He built a ship and found a planet with a great ocean he was going to colonise.”
“Poppycock!” said Seymour. “That fish couldn't fly a spaceship! The water would fuse the controls!”

Staines shook his head, which pivoted at the gills. “It's true.” He pointed with a fin towards a huge double-door into the adjacent cargo bay.
They trudged through, with Staines crawling through the tiny amount of water alongside them, and found the ship he mentioned. It was a retrofitted Starbug with it's classic three sphere shape, but the middle and front sphere were made of glass, making it look like adjoining fish bowls. The ship was already filled with water and had a small castle and some plastic seaweed for the fish to swim around.

“The course to the ocean planet is already inputted to the navigation.” Staines said.
Seymour nodded. “Still sounds like tosh to me, it'll never fly!”
“It will!” Staines swam underneath the ship and opened a door.. A moment later they could see him inside the middle section of the ship, swimming towards the cockpit. A few moments later, the ship purred into life as the fish started up the engines.
“Well I never!” Said Seymour. “Alright, lets get all this other poor seafood onboard, and you can set sail.”
But Staines wasn't listening, and was seizing his opportunity to escape. He gave them a nervous glance through the glass window, then flew the ship up out of the water and forwards towards the large metal bay doors.
“He's escaping without the others! They'll die!” Said Seymour. “Quick, don't let him get away!”

<Tag – Does Staines escape, or can we stop him in time? Remember the rest of the Aquanauts don't have much water to breathe. Or maybe he escapes and the fish die... and Seymour serves up a lovely grilled seafood salad. Whoever writes next gets to decide!>