Lost sunken ship found, solves maritime mystery.

Solving a 50-Year-Old Maritime Mystery: The Discovery of the M.V. Blythe Star

One of Australia’s biggest maritime mysteries has finally been solved! The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) announced on Monday that they have discovered the M.V. Blythe Star, which sank 50 years ago off the coast of Tasmania. The shipwreck’s location had been a mystery for decades, and the families of the crew were eager for answers as the 50th anniversary of its disappearance approached.

The Harrowing Journey of Survival

The Blythe Star was a 130-foot freighter that left Hobart, Australia, on October 12, 1973, en route to King Island, Australia, with a crew of ten men and a cargo load of fertilizer and kegged beer. The weather was expected to be favorable during the two-day trip. However, one day after leaving Hobart, the ship began taking on water and tilting to one side. The vessel capsized off the southwest coast of Tasmania, and the crew had to use an inflatable life raft to survive.

As the inflatable raft began to drift from where the Blythe Star sank, the crew faced a harrowing journey of survival. They got within a quarter mile of the shore on multiple occasions but did not attempt to swim there because “there were too many sharks.” The first casualty came three days after the ship sank: second engineer John Sloan. His death may have been the result of medication he needed that he wasn’t able to retrieve before the ship sank. His body was buried at sea by the rest of the crew. Two more crew members died shortly after making it ashore, possibly from hypothermia or exhaustion.

The Discovery of the Shipwreck

The resting place of the Blythe Star was discovered six-and-a-half miles west of South West Cape, Tasmania, in roughly 500 feet of water. Using a research vessel with underwater cameras, the group could confirm it was the Blythe Star by identifying various features of the ship, including the word “STAR,” still visible on the bow.

“When I heard they found it, I was just blown away,” said Michael Doleman, the last surviving crewman of the ship. “Overall it was pretty intact, especially the propeller and the rudder. It is in pretty good nick actually, considering its journey.”

The Aftermath

After nine days at sea and drifting roughly 250 miles, the men came ashore at Deep Glen Bay. At this point, the search had already been halted, presuming all the men were dead. Some memorial services had even taken place already. Three of the men embarked on a two-day trek to find help, eventually encountering a truck passing by, which led to their rescue.

The discovery of the Blythe Star has finally solved a 50-year-old maritime mystery and provided closure for the families of the crew.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases