After resting on the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea for over thirty-two years, the bridge and conning tower of the Israeli submarine DAKAR was successfully raised and delivered to the naval base at Haifa on October 10th. Nauticos Corporation, an ocean exploration company based in Hanover (USA) located DAKAR at a depth of approximately 10,000 feet. Current operations conducted by Nauticos and their subcontractor Phoenix International, Inc. of Arlington (USA) include conducting a forensic investigation to determine the cause of the tragic loss of the submarine and its crew of sixty-nine Israeli sailors.

The DAKAR was a WWII “T-class” submarine built by the British, and sold to the Israelis after modifications, upgrades, and sea trials. In 1968, the DAKAR was en route to Haifa via Gibraltar on its maiden voyage for delivery to the operational fleet. During this transit, communications inexplicably ceased and the submarine was never heard from again.
Nauticos Corporation committed a combination of advanced, proven equipment and a highly qualified team of forensic, salvage, and operations experts to undertake this operation for the Israeli Navy. The recovery was conducted using a special synthetic rope, from a depth of 3,000 meters. The wreckage was 19 feet tall, 15 feet long and 9 feet wide, weighing over three tons.

The controlled lift of this 3-ton section of the submarine and detailed photographic inspection of the site was conducted by the REMORA 6000, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) owned and operated by Phoenix International. REMORA, capable of operating to a depth of 20,000 feet, is equipped with video and still cameras, as well as robotic manipulator arms.