Investigation of wrecks — Basic objectives in searching for sunken ships
Determining the reasons for the ship sinking
The desire to know the truth of how the accident occurred and what caused it. This is valuable information for the ship’s operator, insurer or the families of maritime disaster victims. Such information also has educational value and may have an impact on the prevention of similar maritime accidents in the future.
Assessment of the impact of wreck presence on navigational safety
The assessment of maintaining an adequate level of navigational safety is affected by:
- Determination of the exact geographical position of the wreck on the bottom
- Measurement of the distance from the wreck to, for example, approach fairways, traffic demarcation systems, and anchorage areas
- Measurement of depth at the bottom of the wreck and its structural element that lies closest to the surface
All these elements can have a significant impact on ensuring the navigational safety of other vessels, especially in shallow places, anchorage sites or places where other surface/underwater vessels are engaged in an activity that puts them at risk of damage to the hull, equipment or fishing nets.
Assessment of hull damage and its impact on marine environment safety
Ships sink together with a supply of fuel and environmentally hazardous crude oil derivatives. The cargo itself can also be dangerous. The leakage of these substances can have disastrous effects on the environment. That is why it is so important to check the shipwreck for damage and to estimate the danger. This is done with the aim of extracting hazardous substances or constantly monitoring the presence of such a risk in the future due to ongoing processes of wreck degradation.
Salvage of precious cargo remaining in the holds of a sunken ship
The cost of cargo salvage is often negligible compared to its value, not only in the case of precious metals, but, for example, platinum or other ores.
Recovery of seamen’s bodies
Recovery enables a dignified burial of maritime disaster victims by their families. The recovery of bodies is also an important issue in the case of legal transactions so as not to consider a person missing.
SONAR AND ROV — Underwater exploration equipment
Using sonar to search for wrecks
Sonar enables searching very large marine areas in a relatively short time. In our search, we use the latest sonar equipment by manufacturers such as Kongsberg, Edgetech, and Teledyne Marine. Depending on the size of the wreck sought, the depth of the water in the region and other conditions, we select the best device for the order being executed.
Using a magnetometer to search for wrecks
In our search, we use the most powerful proton magnetometers that employ nuclear resonance. They help locate shipwrecks by measuring changes in the magnetic field.
Using an underwater ROV robot to investigate a shipwreck
The underwater robots that we use are capable not only of visual inspection of the hull and superstructure outside. We also investigate wrecks inside by navigating their interiors. We use biodegradable comropes and collect water samples for laboratory tests. Video taken by the camera mounted on a submarine robot can be broadcast live to any place in the world.
We are able to conduct a long-term search in any corner of the world using the latest tools for underwater work.