Shipwreck of Blythe Star found off Australian coast after 50 years

This undated photo shows the freighter Blythe Star which suddenly capsized off Tasmania on Oct 13, 1973. (PHOTO / COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION)

CANBERRA – A team from Australia's national science agency has found the shipwreck of a freighter 50 years after it sank, solving one of the country's greatest maritime mysteries.

The motor vessel Blythe Star, a 44-meter coastal freighter, suddenly capsized off the southwest coast of Tasmania on October 13, 1973. All 10 crew on board escaped but three died before the survivors were rescued 12 days later.

The incident prompted the largest maritime search operation in Australian history to that point, but no sign of the vessel was found until the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on Monday announced it had found the Blythe Star's resting place

The incident prompted the largest maritime search operation in Australian history to that point, but no sign of the vessel was found until the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) on Monday announced it had found the Blythe Star's resting place.

The discovery was made by a CSIRO team during a 38-day voyage on board the research vessel Investigator to study a submarine landslide off the Tasmanian coast.

ALSO READ: Old shipwreck recovered from Yangtze riverbed

A side project to investigate an unidentified wreck found the ship intact and sitting upright at a depth of approximately 150 meters.

The team used multibeam echosounders to map the shipwreck before deploying underwater camera systems to the site.

They found the wreck matched the dimensions and profile of the Blythe Star.

This undated photo shows the stern of the freighter Blythe Star, which sank off Tasmania on Oct 13, 1973. (PHOTO / COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION)

Vision from the cameras was then compared with historical photos of the ship to identify distinctive features, including the word "star" written on its bow, to confirm the wreck.

READ MORE: New horizon set for underwater relics

The team is hopeful that video imagery could provide insight into what caused it to sink.

Members of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation team check the wreck of Blythe Star and compare it with a photo of the vessel. (PHOTO / COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION)

The findings were shared with the families and sole surviving crew member of the ship and the Blythe Star Memorial Group, which is planning an event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking in October.