A 120-year-old mystery of a missing ship that vanished without a trace off the coast of Australia has finally been solved—thanks to submarine investigators who happened upon it by chance. In July 1904, the SS Nemesis was bringing coal to Melbourne, Australia, when it was struck in a strong storm off the coast of New South Wales and went missing, along with its 32 crew members. In the weeks following the storm, bodies of crew members and bits of the ship’s wreckage washed up on Cronulla Beach, roughly 18 miles south of Sydney.
The SS Nemesis has been spotted underwater
The SS Nemesis was discovered inadvertently after disappearing off the coast of Australia in 1904. The disappearance sparked a media frenzy and piqued public interest, but the wreckage of the 240-foot vessel was never discovered, and its final resting place remains unknown.
Subsea Professional Marine Services, a remote sensing business scouring the ocean floor off the coast of Sydney for lost cargo in 2022, unintentionally discovered the missing wreckage.
The wreck was discovered totally intact, around 16 miles offshore, beneath nearly 525 feet of water. The Arlington ship, which sank with the captain aboard in 1940, was discovered at the bottom of Lake Superior.
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Officials assumed the sunken ship was the SS Nemesis, but they needed to employ specialist underwater imaging to establish that the wreckage’s distinguishing traits matched historical images and sketches of the coal freighter.
Images showed the ship’s iron remains resting erect on a sand plain. Its bow and stern sustained considerable damage. The discovery indicated that the ship sank because its engine became overwhelmed by the storm.
A storm sank the ship and its 32 crew members
CSIRO experts believe the SS Nemesis sank swiftly after being hit by a strong wave, leaving the crew without time to deploy lifeboats. Officials are urging families who lost ancestors aboard the voyage to come forward.
“Around 40 children lost their parents in this wreck and I hope this discovery brings closure to families and friends connected to the ship who have never known its fate,” NSW Minister for Environment and Heritage Penny Sharpe said.
The wreckage was discovered 16 miles offshore, about 525 feet underwater
According to officials, the SS Nemesis sank due to engine overload caused by a storm. Wollongong MP Paul Scully lauded the discovery of 105 shipwrecks off the New South Wales coast, calling it a “important find.” Ed Husic, Australia’s science minister, also praised the discovery, which he believes would bring solace to the families of the 32 sailors who died on the SS Nemesis.
“Every Australian should take heart in the curiosity and persistence our scientists have shown in this project, as they do in all their work,” Husic said. According to officials, the lost crew members were from Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.