THE ROSS CLEVELAND FOUND

THE ROSS CLEVELAND REDISCOVERED

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The Ross Cleveland, Hull’s worst ever shipping disaster still sends a shiver down the spine.

Hull’s fishing community was plunged into mourning in 1968 as 60 fishermen in total perished.

The vessel sank after getting into difficulties off the coast of Iceland in the bitter winter.

Final resting place

The BBC has found and filmed for the first time the wreck of the trawler.

It was located in Isafjordhur - 1000 miles north of Hull and on the very edge of the artic circle.

This footage allows the victims' relatives a precious glimpse of their loved one’s final resting place.

The relatives of the crew spoke to Inside Out whilst campaigning for a fisherman’s memorial in Hull.

Mike Swain's brother Maurice died on the Ross Cleveland.

He says, "It is like his resting place really."

"This is the nearest I will ever be to him."

Emotion

There is still a wealth of emotion surrounding the sinking of the Ross Cleveland.

Fisherman's wives protest on the Hull docks

This is not surprising considering the controversy regarding the saftey of Hull trawlers at the time.

The Ross Cleveland was the third shipping tragedy in as many weeks.

Angry people took to the streets of Hull in protest. They wanted improved saftey on the trawlers.

But it was all too late for the crew of the Ross Cleveland.

Ice

Inside Out's evidence confirmed that the Ross Cleveland sank due to the sheer weight of ice on her superstructure.

Cables snapped and railings collapsed as the weight of ice increased.

The crew could not remove this ice fast enough to prevent their ship from tipping over.

Voyage

Echo sounding was used by the BBC team to identify the wreck in a fjord off Isafjordur.

The wreckage which was 120 meters below the surface

A mini submarine was sent down to capture the footage.

The Cleveland lies upright in the seabed, swathed in marine growth.

Inside Out Editor Ian Cundall was in Isafjordur. He says, "It was an emotional moment when the cameras on board the sub picked up the ship’s name on the bow."

"It is still legible after all these years."

The area where the wreckage was discovered was extremely peaceful.

A far cry from the night in 1968 when the Ross Cleveland sank.

There were waves of 30-40 feet reported and temperatures were well below zero.

The peaceful resting place of the trawler and its dedicated crew may come as a very small comfort to the bereaved families.