Independence 2002 S-5 I

Welcome to the dive boat Independence, a 33-foot BHM that cruises at up to 25 knots. This boat is especially outfitted for deep wreck diving expeditions far offshore.

The S-5 is a U.S. Navy submarine sunk in 1920 when she submerged with her main induction and hull valves still open, flooding the vessel. With quick thinking, the crew was able to bring the stern to the surface by pumping out ballast and fuel. They were then spotted by two passing ships and rescued by cutting a hole in the stern. Two excellent accounts of the sinking of the S-5 and subsequent attempts at recovery can be found in Gary Gentile's Shipwrecks of Delaware and Maryland, and Mud, Muscle, and Miracles: Marine Salvage in the United States Navy by Capt. C.A. Bartholomew, USN, respectively. The S-5 now sits in 160 feet of water approximately 35 miles southeast of Cape May, New Jersey. Also see the 2001 pages of the Independence trip to the S-5, which contain excellent exterior pictures of the wreck.

The following pictures (all images from video) are from the voyage of the Independence to the S-5 on Tuesday, July 2, 2002.

Dan Bartone gets wet on a hot day before he suits up.
	Greg Masi prepares for his dive...
...and then splashes.
	Meanwhile, Andrea Doria owner John Moyer makes spaghetti out of some line... ;-)
John Moyer assists Dave Keller in suiting up.
	John Moyer splashes.
Down on the wreck, we are tied in close to the pointed stern.
	This is the big starboard-side prop.
Swimming forward on the stern.
	We are almost at the conning tower.
Looking at the picturesque conning tower from behind. No one has ever been in the conning tower, as it is a very tight squeeze, even for a diver with just a single aluminum 80.
	We continue until we get to the forward hatch.