On the way back from Livingston Island in Antarctica, the Bulgarian naval research vessel Sv. Sv. Kiril i Metodii (RSV 421) docked at the naval base in Mar del Plata, Argentina, on February 21 at 0845 local time. The ship was welcomed by the Commander of the Atlantic Naval Area, Marcelo Paternostro, to whom the head of the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy in Varna, Flotilla Admiral Boyan Mednikarov, and RSV 421 Commanding Officer Nikolay Danailov returned fragments of a Neptune 2-P-103 of the Argentine Naval Research Squadron, which crashed into Bernard Mountain on Livingston Island nearly 50 years ago.
In mid-September 1976, the plane crashed into Mt Barnard on Livingston Island, killing all 11 persons on board. In January 1977, during a search for the crew's bodies, a BELL 212 helicopter crashed, too, and all three crew members died.
During the 32nd Bulgarian Antarctic Expedition, a Bulgarian expedition comprised of Kalin Naydenov, Kiril Doskov, Doychin Boyanov and Marcho Paunov found fragments of the Lockheed 2-P-103 Neptune. Identifying the airplane was facilitated by a part of a flag found in the fragments that had Argentina's sun visible on it.
Lieutenant-Commander Lucas Acosta, representative of the Argentine Navy assisting the Bulgarian ship's navigation in Antarctic waters, described the unfortunate crashes of the two aircraft as the biggest tragedy in the history of Argentina's presence in Antacrtica.
RSV 421 was visited in Mar del Plata by five relatives of Lieutenant Claudio Maria Cabut, one of the victims of the plane crash in 1976.
At a video conference with RSV 421, on behalf of President Javier Milei, Argentine Defence Minister Luis Petri expressed gratitude for the finding of the wreckage of the perished Argentine Antarctic explorers' aircraft. "Argentina is Bulgaria's friend and is infinitely grateful for the finding of the Neptune wreckage. This is very important news for all the families of the Neptune tragedy victims. Thank you for everything you have done and are doing for my country. Argentina is indebted to you," said Petri.
/RY/
news.modal.image.text
news.modal.download.text
news.modal.text
