Israeli Navy raises the bridge of the INS Dakar

IDF Spokesperson announced on Wednesday, October 11th 2000 :
Israeli Navy Raised of the Bridge of the INS Dakar
The bridge of the submarine Dakar, which sank in 1968 and was located in 1999 on the sea floor in the Mediterranean Sea, between Crete and Cyprus, was raised last night in the early morning hours. The bridge was raised from the depths of the Mediterranean Sea (some 500 km. from the shores of Israel,at a depth of 2,900 meters), and was brought this morning to the Port of Haifa.


Part of the conning tower this week in Haifa	Conning tower of the Dakar, 32 years ago

Move mouse over picture to see the exact location of the raised bridge

The Israel Navy, which viewed the finding of the Dakar as one of its goals, will use the bridge, which was located near but detached from the body of the submarine, will be used to commemorate the crew of the submarine. The Navy, through Nauticos Corporation, an ocean exploration company based in Hanover, Maryland-USA, recently began scanning the area where the Dakar sank. Relatives of the Dakar's crew have been appraised as to the scanning of the area and the bringing of the bridge to Israel.


The bridge gyroscope	Bridge reaches it's destination. 32 years late

The robot that was sent down to the deeps of 3km (10,000 feet) will try and enter the broken hull, in order to determined if there are still human remains left. Moreover, the robot will film the wreck of the Dakar from all sides and angles, in order to give some clues that will help to solve the mystery around her faith.

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 Nauticos team was headed by Tom Dettweiler, who also served as the Operations Manager on the successful mission in May 1999 that located the Dakar. The operations team consists of ocean experts from Nauticos and Phoenix.

From Tom Dettweiler, Expedition Leader: "To be the first to stand on the bridge of DAKAR after 32 years, attaching lines to secure her to the deck of our ship for the final leg in the voyage home to Haifa, is a feeling I will remember forever. She rode into Haifa standing upright, and proud, the Israeli flag flying over her. These images will be with me for eternity. It took a skilled team of Nauticos and Phoenix people to complete such a lift from greater than 9000 feet, safely and securely."


The bridge on its way to Haifa over the M/T Eas	The aluminum sleeve leading the ladder to the bridge from inside the submarine
Pictures by courtesy of Nauticos Corporation


The inauguration ceremony of the INS Dakar monument on May 30th 2003. The part that was salvaged is now placed in a monument which is located at the Naval Museum at Haifa. The bridge finally reached its destination and home port.

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