Austin Smith
Patrol Cutter · Bahamas · Lost 1995 · The Bahamas
A Bahamian Defence Force cutter renamed for a marine killed in a 1980 Cuban attack, now a memorial dive wreck in the Exuma Cays.
The Vessel and Her Loss
This 90-foot Royal Bahamas Defence Force cutter was decommissioned in 1995 and renamed Austin Smith in honor of Marine Seaman Austin Smith, one of four Bahamian marines killed when the flagship HMBS Flamingo was attacked and sunk by Cuban MiG-21 fighters on 10 May 1980. While under tow toward its planned scuttling site off Normans Cay, the vessel sank en route, coming to rest upright and largely intact on the sandy bottom, where it has since become a well-known Exuma wreck dive.
Vessel
- Not established
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- Steel
- 90 ft
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- Diesel
- Royal Bahamas Defence Force
Loss
- January 1, 1995
- Intentional sinking
- East of Normans Cay, Exuma Cays
- Exuma Cays
- Not established
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The Wreck Today
- 18-20 meters
- Intact, upright on a sandy bottom
- Upright
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Normans Cay, Exuma Cays
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (60/100)
The cutter's original name, build year and precise commissioning history are not established in the sources reviewed.
Decommissioning, memorial naming, accidental sinking while under tow.
Names of the four marines killed in the 1980 Flamingo attack.
