Australia finds shipwreck, ending 50-year mystery

The wreck of the MV Blythe Star has just been found.

The Guardian reported on May 15 that scientists from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) have confirmed the location of the MV Blythe Star ship, nearly 50 years after it sank off the coast of Tasmania.

Researchers from CSIRO and the University of Tasmania discovered the wreck of the MV Blythe Star about 10.5km west of Tasmania’s south-west tip while investigating an underwater landslide. They used mapping data and video imagery to confirm it was the MV Blythe Star.

The wreck is covered in algae and seaweed, the stern is damaged and the cockpit is missing. In the footage, crayfish, fish and seals are seen swimming around the wreck.

CSIRO said it was pleased to confirm the ship's "final resting place", closing a 50-year mystery.

On 13 October 1973, while on a routine voyage from Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, to King Island, the ship began to list to starboard and capsized.

The 10 crew members climbed into an inflatable life raft and spent nine days at sea in bad weather before reaching shore. One died at sea, while the other nine attempted to walk from where they landed at Deep Glen Bay on the Forestier Peninsula, southeast of Tasmania. During that journey, two sailors died of exhaustion and hypothermia.

The crew was not rescued until October 26, 1973, nearly two weeks after the sinking. A small group of survivors went out and planted a flag on a road to signal passing cars.

Despite a massive search by Australia, no trace of the MV Blythe Star has been found for decades.

The tragedy prompted Australia to make significant changes to maritime law, including the introduction of a position reporting system, which has significantly improved safety at sea.

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