Australian researchers have located the shipwreck of the MV Blythe Star nearly 50 years after it suddenly sank off the Tasmanian coast.
Australia's national science agency CSIRO on Monday said that the location of the 44-metre motor vessel, which suddenly capsized and sank off the south-west coast of Tasmania in October 1973, was confirmed in April during a 38-day research mission to study a submarine landslide off the west coast of the island state.
The voyage, led by the University of Tasmania, included a side mission to investigate an unidentified shipwreck which had previously been spotted by fishing vessels.
"The seafloor mapping... showed the unidentified shipwreck was lying in approximately 150 metres of water," CSIRO said. "The bathymetry showed that the shipwreck matched the dimensions and profile of the MV Blythe Star."
The agency said that the shipwreck is intact and sitting upright on the seafloor, with its bow pointing towards the north-west. Using underwater cameras, researchers were able to identify part of the vessel name - 'STAR' - on the ship's bow.
The data collected was provided to state and national maritime heritage agencies. The hope is that the mapping and video footage may help answer questions about what caused the ship to sink. — dpa
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