55年后,CSIRO找到了MV Noongah的沉船,结束了澳大利亚最悲惨的海上事故之一。
1969年8月25日,一场强风暴击沉了这艘71米长的沿海货船,当时这艘货船正装载着钢铁货物从纽卡斯尔运往汤斯维尔。
这起事故造成船上26名船员中21人死亡。
直到CSIRO、Heritage NSW和The Sydney Project共同努力,该船的位置才为人所知。
2024年6月,CSIRO的研究船(RV)调查员收集了高分辨率海底测绘和视频片段,证实了这一发现。
这艘沉船直立着,几乎没有受损,是在距离斯莫基角170米深的地方被发现的。
CSIRO的航行经理Margot Hind表示,有利的海况可以收集到出色的数据,并将残骸的尺寸和轮廓与MV Noongah相匹配。
这些发现对于安排另一次潜水以拍摄该地点的更多镜头至关重要。
对MV Noongah的搜索是澳大利亚海事历史上规模最大的搜索之一,涉及商船和海军舰艇、飞机,以及广泛的岸基搜索。
不幸的是,只找到了一具尸体,残骸消失了五十多年。
MV Noongah的损失被认为是澳大利亚沿海水域和平时期最严重的海上悲剧之一。
MV Noongah残骸的发现是在RV调查员于2023年4月发现Blythe Star之后发现的。
Noongah项目使用了与之前发现类似的技术和设备。
新南威尔士州遗产局局长Tim Smith OAM希望这一发现能给船员的幸存者和家人带来一个结局。
MUA国家秘书Paddy Crumlin和MUA纽卡斯尔分会秘书Glen Williams都赞扬了这一发现,认识到它在尊重船员遗产和支持幸存家庭方面的重要性。
幸存者Bill Cockley在几次采访中透露了MV Noongah的悲惨沉没。Cockley和其他三名幸存者在弃船后被迫在公海为生存而战。
他们的故事反映了船员们在澳大利亚航海史上最黑暗的夜晚中的勇敢和坚韧。
CSIRO由澳大利亚政府通过国家合作研究基础设施战略(NCRIS)资助,仍然致力于海洋遗产和研究。
MV Noongah沉船的发现加强了该机构对发现和保护澳大利亚海事历史的承诺。
▲Image Credits: MARITIME UNION OF AUSTRALIA/Facebook
英文原文
After 55 years, CSIRO has located the shipwreck of the MV Noongah, bringing an end to one of Australia’s most tragic maritime accidents.
On August 25, 1969, a strong storm sunk the 71-meter coastal freighter while travelling from Newcastle to Townsville with steel cargo.
The incident claimed the lives of 21 of the 26 crew members on board.
The vessel’s location was unknown until a collaborative effort by CSIRO, Heritage NSW, and The Sydney Project.
In June 2024, CSIRO’s research vessel (RV) Investigator collected high-resolution seafloor mapping and video footage, which confirmed the discovery.
The wreck, sitting upright and mostly undamaged, was discovered at a depth of 170 meters off Smoky Cape.
Margot Hind, CSIRO’s Voyage Manager, stated that favourable sea conditions allowed for excellent data collection, matching the wreck’s dimensions and profile with those of the MV Noongah.
The findings were crucial for arranging another dive to capture additional footage of the site.
The search for the MV Noongah was one of the largest in Australian maritime history, involving merchant and naval vessels, aircraft, and extensive shore-based searches.
Unfortunately, only one body was recovered, and the wreck was disappeared for over five decades.
The loss of the MV Noongah is considered one of the worst peacetime maritime tragedies in Australian coastal waters.
The discovery of the MV Noongah wreck comes after the RV Investigator discovered the Blythe Star in April 2023.
The Noongah project used similar techniques and equipment used in the previous discovery.
Heritage NSW director Tim Smith OAM hopes that the finding will bring closure to the crew’s survivors and families.
MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin and MUA Newcastle Branch Secretary Glen Williams both praised the discovery, recognizing its importance in honouring the crew’s legacy and supporting the surviving families.
Survivor Bill Cockley disclosed the tragic sinking of the MV Noongah in several interviews. Cockley, along with three other survivors, were forced to fight for survival in the open sea after abandoning their ship.
Their story reflects the crew’s bravery and resilience on one of the darkest nights in Australian maritime history.
CSIRO, funded by the Australian government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS), remains committed to maritime heritage and research.
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