Professional U.S. seabed explorers and the French navy have located a submarine that’s been missing for more than 50 years, ending decades of pain for bereaved families after the vessel was lost along with its 52-man crew.
Houston-based Ocean Infinity found the La Minerve sub off the coast of Toulon in the Mediterranean Sea, the area in which it sunk in January 1968. The search came after the French navy renewed previous efforts to find the lost vessel.
“It’s a success, a relief and a technical feat,” French Defense Minister Florence Parly tweeted. “I am thinking of the families who have waited for so long for this moment.”
Parly announced a new search mission at the beginning of 2019, backed by the latest technology and naval vessels, following fresh demands from the families of deceased sailors to find the remains of their loved ones.
Tides and currents in the western Mediterranean were modelled by the team, while data from the time of the accident was also re-analysed, including seismic reports indicating the likely implosion of the vessel as it dropped to the seabed.
According to the French Navy, the submarine is now split in three pieces. The French Navy confirmed Minerve would not be raised to the surface but the wreck would be analyzed to try to identify the cause of its sinking. It will remain the grave of the 52 crew-members of the submarine.
Ocean Infinity and its Seabed Constructor were previously contracted by the Argentine Navy to search for the missing submarine ARA San Juan which was discovered on November 17, 2018.
The cause of the accident involving the Minerve has never been announced.
Experts have speculated that it could have been due to a problem with its rudder, a collision with another boat, the explosion of a missile or torpedo, or a fault with its oxygen supply systems.
The 1960s were deadly times for submarine crews, with a host of accidents reported around the world.
In April 1963, the nuclear-powered USS Thresher sank with 129 people aboard off Cape Cod, while 99 lives were lost in the USS Scorpion when it sank in the Atlantic five years later.
UPI/AFP contributed to this story
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