Researchers find wreckage of Blythe Star after 50 years

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has located the sunken wreck of the Blythe Star, a freighter that disappeared off the coast of Tasmania 50 years ago. The ship capsized without warning during a voyage from Hobart to King Island in 1973, possibly due to overloading, with crew members abandoning the vessel. An extensive search was conducted, but the wreck was never located until now, with the CSIRO vessel RV Investigator discovering the five-nautical-mile wreck while studying underwater landslides off Tasmania.

The Investigator’s crew scanned the wreckage with sonar equipment, with the ship’s dimensions matching those of the Blythe Star. The vessel was upright, while the hull was largely intact despite damage to the stern and a wheelhouse that was missing. The ship’s sole survivor of the sinking, the former Deputy National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, Mick Doleman, said he was “overwhelmed” that the ship’s wreck had been discovered.

Tags: Blythe Star


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