WRECK RIDDLE
Moment eerie wreck of 233ft ship that mysteriously vanished 55yrs ago is FOUND after disaster sent 21 to watery grave
Watch the moment researchers found the largely intact shipwreck underwater
THIS is the moment scientists discovered the resting place of a 233ft ship that mysteriously disappeared 55 years ago.
MV Noongah got lost at sea in 1969 after departing from Newcastle to Townsville, Australia with 26 crew members onboard.
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Five crewmen were pulled from the water alive in the hours following the ship's sinking and only one body was ever found.
The rest of the crew perished at sea and were sent to watery grave along with the freighter in "one of the nation's worst post-war maritime disasters".
The whereabouts of the shipwreck were a mystery until Australia's research department has verified the wreck's location last month.
Using high-resolution seafloor mapping and video footage, the researchers were able to confirm the wreckage belonged to MV Noongah.
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The fascinating clip shows the ship sitting upright on the seabed in a largely intact condition.
Residents of South West Rocks, which is located around 286 miles north of Sydney, discovered a wreck in deep water and reported its location to the authorities years ago.
Although it has been suspected to be the Noongah, the necessary equipment and technology to verify the claims were not available at the time.
However, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) dispatched a state-of-the-art ship last month to do additional research.
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CSIRO's Matt Kimber said: "This tragedy is still very much in the memory of many in the community."
"We hope that knowing the resting place of the vessel brings some closure for all."
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The wreck was discovered 170m below the surface, mostly undamaged, and lying upright on the sea floor.
According to the CSIRO, all of its major dimensions matched the Noongah.
The Sydney Project, which locates and records the remains of lost ships, is currently organising a dive to gather more information from the location in the hopes of learning more about the ship's cause of sinking.
The freighter encountered rough waters while transporting steel off the coast of New South Wales on August 25, 1969.
Just minutes after sending out a distress signal, the ship had sunk and vanished, sparking one of the biggest maritime searches in the country's history.
A large operation was conducted by Royal Australian Navy destroyers, minesweepers, planes, helicopters, and several other vessels, while rescue personnel scoured the shore for any sign of survivors.
Within the next twelve hours, local media reported that they discovered three more men clinging to a plank of wood and two men at sea in two different life rafts.
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