Latest news with #maritimeDisaster
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Shipwreck mystery solved after nearly 140 years
The mystery of a maritime disaster has been solved after experts found a vessel that sank almost 140 years ago. Diver and explorer Dom Robinson identified the SS Nantes, off Plymouth, after examining the wreck site and finding crockery. Dr Harry Bennett, an expert in maritime history, said the dive team had found "the underwater archaeological equivalent of a needle in a haystack". Mr Robinson said solving the mystery ensured those who died were not forgotten. In November 1888, the SS Nantes, which was operated by the Cunard Steamship Company, collided with a German sailing vessel, the Theodor Ruger, said Dr Bennett. The crew spent "several hours" trying to save their ship, the honorary associate professor in history at the University of Plymouth said. "They used mattresses to plug the gap which had opened up in the haul of the SS Nantes," he said. "[The ship sank] with the loss of a substantial number of the crew. There were some 23-odd fatalities. There were three survivors." Bodies from the wreckage washed ashore at Talland Bay and Looe, in Cornwall, and "locals were confronted by this picture of horror, pieces of ship together with bodies," he said. Afterwards the "wreck was essentially lost, obviously you're dealing in a period with no satellite navigation," said Dr Bennett. He added while the crew tried to save the ship it "drifted for several hours, before it finally made its way to the bottom, sadly, with many of its crewmen on board". He said the wreck was lost until a local dive team identified it in 2024. Mr Robinson, who has been diving for about 35 years, said he heard about the unidentified wreck from the UK Hydrographic Office. He said the wreck "was clearly an early steamship when we got down there" but "at the end of my dive I found a broken piece of plate... I decided to bring it up to the surface [and] we found that had the Cunard Steamship crest on it". "It was then bingo, we've found it," he said. Dr Bennett said it was identified by the build and dimensions of the wreck, the technology on board, the cargo and "lastly and most telling, they find a plate on the back of which is stamped Cunard - this is a Cunard ship". "[It was] very methodical, very, very dedicated detective work," he said. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Mr Robinson said: "This was an awful tragedy. One of the things I like to think is by solving mysteries and telling those stories I'm ensuring that those people aren't forgotten." Since the initial find, Mr Robinson said he had dived the wreck again and found a second piece of Cunard crockery, providing "even more confirmation". "There are very few mysteries left to explore in this world," he said. "As a normal human being like me, going in exploring shipwrecks and identifying shipwrecks, that is just something different to my normal life, and it's a fantastic feeling." Dr Bennett said "all the pieces fit and I think the local dive team are to be congratulated on a splendid piece of detective work which reveals this maritime disaster". He said he had looked at the footage and methodology and had confirmed they were right "beyond any reasonable shadow of a doubt, this is the SS Nantes". Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram Wreck thought to be WW2 storm-hit vessel Diver buys WW1 shipwreck for £300 on Facebook University of Plymouth
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Shipwreck mystery solved after nearly 140 years
The mystery of a maritime disaster has been solved after experts found a vessel that sank almost 140 years ago. Diver and explorer Dom Robinson identified the SS Nantes, off Plymouth, after examining the wreck site and finding crockery. Dr Harry Bennett, an expert in maritime history, said the dive team had found "the underwater archaeological equivalent of a needle in a haystack". Mr Robinson said solving the mystery ensured those who died were not forgotten. In November 1888, the SS Nantes, which was operated by the Cunard Steamship Company, collided with a German sailing vessel, the Theodor Ruger, said Dr Bennett. The crew spent "several hours" trying to save their ship, the honorary associate professor in history at the University of Plymouth said. "They used mattresses to plug the gap which had opened up in the haul of the SS Nantes," he said. "[The ship sank] with the loss of a substantial number of the crew. There were some 23-odd fatalities. There were three survivors." Bodies from the wreckage washed ashore at Talland Bay and Looe, in Cornwall, and "locals were confronted by this picture of horror, pieces of ship together with bodies," he said. Afterwards the "wreck was essentially lost, obviously you're dealing in a period with no satellite navigation," said Dr Bennett. He added while the crew tried to save the ship it "drifted for several hours, before it finally made its way to the bottom, sadly, with many of its crewmen on board". He said the wreck was lost until a local dive team identified it in 2024. Mr Robinson, who has been diving for about 35 years, said he heard about the unidentified wreck from the UK Hydrographic Office. He said the wreck "was clearly an early steamship when we got down there" but "at the end of my dive I found a broken piece of plate... I decided to bring it up to the surface [and] we found that had the Cunard Steamship crest on it". "It was then bingo, we've found it," he said. Dr Bennett said it was identified by the build and dimensions of the wreck, the technology on board, the cargo and "lastly and most telling, they find a plate on the back of which is stamped Cunard - this is a Cunard ship". "[It was] very methodical, very, very dedicated detective work," he said. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Mr Robinson said: "This was an awful tragedy. One of the things I like to think is by solving mysteries and telling those stories I'm ensuring that those people aren't forgotten." Since the initial find, Mr Robinson said he had dived the wreck again and found a second piece of Cunard crockery, providing "even more confirmation". "There are very few mysteries left to explore in this world," he said. "As a normal human being like me, going in exploring shipwrecks and identifying shipwrecks, that is just something different to my normal life, and it's a fantastic feeling." Dr Bennett said "all the pieces fit and I think the local dive team are to be congratulated on a splendid piece of detective work which reveals this maritime disaster". He said he had looked at the footage and methodology and had confirmed they were right "beyond any reasonable shadow of a doubt, this is the SS Nantes". Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Follow BBC Cornwall on X, Facebook and Instagram Wreck thought to be WW2 storm-hit vessel Diver buys WW1 shipwreck for £300 on Facebook University of Plymouth
South China Morning Post
23-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Inspectors did not need to look for ship flaws, Hong Kong disaster probe told
A former Marine Department official has maintained at a court inquest into one of Hong Kong's deadliest maritime disasters that he and his colleagues were not obliged to detect structural flaws during regular ship inspections. Retired principal ship surveyor Wong Chi-kin told the Coroner's Court on Friday that department staff would only inspect specific items on a vessel 'by intuition' without looking for possible defects. Wong said ship inspectors would not have realised that the lack of a watertight door in between two underdeck rooms of the Lamma IV passenger ferry was a mistake which subsequently contributed to its rapid sinking after a collision with another vessel in 2012, as they would normally overlook matters not drawn to their attention before inspections. 'Formally, we only looked at what was required of us,' the witness said. 'It could be possible that [an inspector] found out [a structural defect] himself, but most of them would just walk past and ignore it.' Wong also defended his decision to approve what appeared to be a self-contradictory drawing of the Lamma IV that indicated an access opening was to be introduced between two supposedly watertight hull compartments at the stern. Instead, he blamed the Lamma IV's manufacturer, Cheoy Lee Shipyards, for failing to notify the department about opening the hatch without installing a watertight door, which violated official survey protocols.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong marine officials missed ferry design flaw, disaster inquiry hears
Two Marine Department officials have told a court inquest that they failed to notice a design flaw in a ferry involved in one of Hong Kong's deadliest maritime disasters as they thought they were not required to look for such issues during periodical check-ups. The Coroner's Court on Monday heard oral evidence from three current and former ship inspectors who were involved in checks on the Lamma IV between 1997 and 2009 before it collided with another ferry and sank on October 1, 2012. The Lamma IV was hit by the Sea Smooth ferry in the waters off Lamma Island while carrying 124 HK Electric employees and their relatives to watch National Day fireworks over Victoria Harbour. The Lamma Island-bound Sea Smooth, operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, was able to continue its journey to Yung Shue Wan Pier, but the Lamma IV sank in less than two minutes, leading to 39 deaths. The court previously heard that the Lamma IV's initial design from 1995 involved six compartments on the underdeck, with the steering gear compartment and the tank room at the stern separated by a watertight bulkhead. The ferry sank in less than two minutes. Photo: Handout Lo Ngok-ying, a director at Cheoy Lee Shipyards which built the Lamma IV, later decided to introduce a hatch connecting the two rooms without a watertight door to comply with what he thought was a legal requirement on the minimal size of underdeck rooms.
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Four people left fighting for their lives in critical condition as 31 others are injured in horror bridge collision
A terrifying maritime disaster unfolded in the heart of New York City on Saturday night when a towering Mexican Navy tall ship slammed into the Brooklyn Bridge, leaving at least 35 people injured, including four in critical condition. The Cuauhtémoc, a majestic three-mast sail training vessel was carrying hundreds of cadets and crew as it struck the underside of the historic bridge just before 8:30pm during a departure maneuver. In a matter of seconds, joy turned to chaos as the ship's 147-foot tall masts snapped like twigs, sending splinters, steel, and rigging crashing down onto the deck below. In the aftermath, emergency responders raced to the scene, with NYPD Harbor and Scuba teams conducting a frantic search and rescue mission. Alhough no one was believed to have fallen into the East River, dozens of victims were reported injured on board, with four sailors in critical condition, according to fire officials. Video from the scene showed horrified onlookers screaming and fleeing as the vessel approached, as part of its enormous masts sheared off one by one with the sickening sound of a crack. Some spectators watching on land believed the ship might slam into the shoreline. One of the snapped masts sent two sailors hurtling through the rigging, witnesses said, as others were seen clinging to ropes and beams dozens of feet above the deck. The ship was backing out from Pier 17 when the crash occurred and appeared to have lost power, according to Mayor Eric Adams. The vessel collided squarely with the bridge's lower structure, which has a maximum clearance of just 135 feet - far below the height of the Cuauhtémoc's tallest mast. Despite the dramatic collision, there was no damage detected on the Brooklyn Bridge as of late Saturday night, according to Mayor Adams' office. The bridge was briefly closed in both directions before being reopened around 10:30pm. The Cuauhtémoc's collision was captured from multiple angles by shocked bystanders, many of whom were filming the grand ship as it attempted to depart. Footage shows the ship moving in reverse, slowly approaching the bridge, before the topmost mast makes contact. Within seconds, one mast crumples and crashes down, followed by another. Sailors were visible and seen dangling in midair from the rigging, caught between wood, wire, and collapsed masts. Debris including splintered beams, light fixtures, and canvas rained down on the deck below.
