55-year old mystery of MV Noongah shipwreck solved

After 55 years, one of Australia’s biggest maritime mystery of MV Noongah has been solved. The shipwreck of the MV Noongah, which sank in 1969 off the coast of New South Wales, has been located by Australian scientists. The tragedy claimed the lives of 21 out of 26 crew members, sparking one of the largest maritime searches in Australian history. The remains of 20 of the deceased were never found, adding to the mystery that surrounded the incident.

The discovery was confirmed by Australia’s science agency, CSIRO, using high-resolution seafloor mapping and video footage. In June, one of CSIRO’s research vessels investigated the site and found that the ship was largely intact and upright, resting approximately 550 feet below the ocean’s surface. A dive team explored the wreck up close to confirm its identity as the MV Noongah.

Efforts to Uncover the Truth

The Sydney Project, an initiative dedicated to locating and documenting lost shipwrecks, now plans to conduct another dive to gather additional footage from the site. This effort aims to shed light on the reasons behind the ship’s sinking.

“This tragedy is still very much in the memory of many in the community,” said Matt Kimber of CSIRO. “We hope that knowing the resting place of the vessel brings some closure for all.”

The MV Noongah was carrying steel when it sank during rough seas on that fateful day in 1969. Despite the crew’s efforts to keep the vessel afloat, they were forced to abandon ship about 30 minutes before it completely sank. A distress signal was sent out, initiating a massive search and rescue operation. Over the next 12 hours, officials found two men in separate life rafts and three others clinging to a plank of wood. The rest of the crew and the ship remained lost until now.

Local residents had previously spotted the wreck near South West Rocks, about 460 kilometers north of Sydney. However, the technology and diving expertise necessary to identify the wreck were lacking at the time.

Samir Alhafith, a member of the mission to find the wreck, expressed hope that discovering the ship’s location could help answer lingering questions about the sinking. “Not only is the discovery of these significant wrecks important for the surviving sailors and families of those that perished during the tragedy but also it allows us to investigate the mystery behind the sinking,” he said.

Others involved in the project echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that knowing the location of the Noongah may provide some level of closure to those who lost loved ones in the disaster. As researchers prepare for further dives and studies, the discovery of the MV Noongah stands as a significant milestone in understanding and commemorating one of Australia’s most enduring maritime mysteries.

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