On November 22, a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) ship deployed a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to investigate an object of interest located in the coastal waters off British Columbia. The RCN has confirmed the object is not an unexploded military munition, and poses no risk to the local population.
Scheduled to conduct Route Survey operations in the vicinity of Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia, Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Yellowknife and its crew were re-directed to an area south of Prince Rupert in response to an RCMP request to investigate an unknown subsurface object. Media reports speculated the object could be related to a crash of the United States Air Force B-36 Peacemaker in 1950.
With the assistance of the diver that originally discovered the object, the crew of HMCS Yellowknife used onboard sonar systems, a remotely operated vehicle and a dive team to locate and identify the object. It was determined to be a metal part of a larger machine assembly and appears to be a piece of industrial equipment.
HMCS Yellowknife is a Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defence Vessel (MCDV) launched in 1997. MCDVs are multi-role minor war vessels with a primary mission of coastal surveillance and patrol including general naval operations and exercises, search and rescue, law enforcement, resource protection and fisheries patrols.
Quotes
“HMCS Yellowknife’s timely response is an excellent demonstration of the RCN’s capabilities. We are proud to have the equipment and people who are able to adapt to any operational demand. RCN ships and their crews are always ready to respond when called upon.”
Lieutenant-Commander Donald Thompson-Greiff, Commanding Officer of HMCS Yellowknife
“We are pleased that HMCS Yellowknife was able to locate the object and determine that the object was not an unexploded military munition. The RCN is pleased to relieve any concerns in the local communities.”
Commander Michele Tessier, Commander Coastal Division, Maritime Forces Pacific
Quick Facts
The object was determined to be a steel piece of industrial equipment with yellow paint measuring approximately 5.5 m in length and 1 m in height. It was found in 8 metres of water.
The search was conducted in two phases which included the use of the ship’s sonar system and later the deployment of a submersible ROV from the deck of HMCS Yellowknife.
