Here is the story of the July 14, 2000 sinking of the 366-foot Canadian destroyer Yukon, as reported on the Scubasource Network.  Other stories and web links follow.

The Scubasource Network obtained this "Exclusive Exclusive" report from the only journalist to witness her sinking. 

Disappointed you didn’t get to see the Yukon sink? We were too, but ScubaSource got the next best thing: an interview with one of the few actual witnesses to the untimely sinking of the Canadian warship off of San Diego’s Mission Beach. Lynn Stuart, a reporter for San Diego’s NBC station (and open water certified diver) was the only reporter present during the surprise sinking. The photographs and television video you may have seen of the ship going under were likely shot by Lynn and her photojournalist. Here’s what she told ScubaSource in an exclusive interview about an exclusive story!

ScubaSource: Wow! You were one of the lucky few who got to see the Yukon go under ahead of schedule. What was it like?

Lynn Stuart: It was more exciting than I would have ever imagined. One minute this big ship is sitting on top of the water looking like nothing could take it down, but within minutes of our getting to her the bow started dipping into the water. It was so eerie seeing this huge chunk of metal being dragged down with blackness all around and only the lights from the shoreline almost two miles away. Once the bow dipped into the water, the rest of the ship followed very quickly.

ScubaSource: When did you first learn that the Yukon was sinking?

Lynn Stuart: I was working during the evening of Thursday the 13th, when I got a page from the newsroom a little after my eleven o’clock live shot. Our assignment desk editor said that the Yukon was sinking and he wanted us to get the story. At first I thought it was a joke, but after we turned on the police scanners and heard the Coast Guard’s transmissions it was clear this was no joke.

ScubaSource: How did you get out to where the ship was sinking? Did your station provide a boat?

Lynn Stuart: It was a situation of being at the right place at the right time. I was waiting at one of the lifeguard stations hoping to talk to one of the Yukon’s caretakers that was rescued off the ship. I then saw several of the lifeguards were leaving to go out to the Yukon. They had a little extra room on one of their rescue dinghies, and asked if my photojournalist and I wanted to go along. It was after the last news show for the evening, so we were the only news crew there. I knew we were going to bag an exclusive story with a potential for some great video, so off we went! We were worried we wouldn’t make it out to the Yukon before she sank but we got there in plenty of time.

ScubaSource: What were you thinking as you watched her go down?

Lynn Stuart: There were things I didn’t expect like the creaking and the moaning the ship made as she was pulled under. The groaning noise sounded like the ship was in pain. There was a light and some loose articles near the stern. They made a horrible noise as they tumbled forward when the ship’s bow was being tugged under. We were near the stern, and you could see it being pulled up out of the water about 30 feet. Everyone in our boat cheered when the ship twisted our direction and then like a snake began wriggling into the water. Once the ship was under there were a lot of bubbles even a few little geysers that shot up as the air inside the ship escaped. We were sprayed down with the mist of the air escaping.

It was just a once in a lifetime opportunity. I felt a little selfish knowing thousands had planned to see what I had the privilege to see, but at the same time I believe the Yukon’s sinking was so much more dramatic in the dark and with just a few to witness her passing.

ScubaSource: Were you ever concerned about your safety?

Lynn Stuart: At one point we worried the Yukon might tip us over when she was going down. She tipped to her port side while she was sinking--the side we were watching from! The lifeguards told us to hang on in case the ship sent out a concussion wave or if the strength of the Yukon going down were to tip us over. They quickly told us what to do in case our boat tipped over. It was pretty hairy, but even with our concern that our boat could capsize; no one could take their eyes off the Yukon.

ScubaSource: Did you interview any one who was rescued from on the boat?

Lynn Stuart: Yes, I briefly spoke with one of the men. He said he was disappointed, but he was emotional and just too upset to say much else.

ScubaSource: What a job! What was the reaction from the people at your station?

Lynn Stuart: When we first called back to say we were headed out to the Yukon the Assignment Editor was elated. When we returned with the dramatic video and saw how well it turned out everyone there was overjoyed. The photojournalist Bob Saxman did an outstanding job in a very difficult situation. We were in a small lifeguard boat getting a lot of wave action so just keeping the camera steady was a big challenge - not to mention the threat of falling overboard. To further complicate his job there was very little light hitting the Yukon so thank goodness he knew what to do to make the shots turn out. It would have been horrible if we were the only news crew on board and the tape was too dark to actually see the ship as it sank. There was a freelance photographer on board that sold his video to the other stations in town, but you can definitely see a clear difference in the quality of Bob’s tape versus the freelancer’s work.

ScubaSource: So what’s going to happen now that the Yukon is in her final resting place?

Lynn Stuart: Now the Yukon is free to become home to a variety of marine life and playground for thousands of divers. The Yukon’s story is not over, it’s just beginning.

ScubaSource: You’re open water certified-any plans to revisit the Yukon underwater?

Lynn Stuart: I would love to but I’m not able to dive deep enough to really check her out. The planned sinking of the Yukon called for her to sink so that she would rest sitting up just like when she floated on the water. That would have put her at 80 feet deep in the water so all certified divers could explore her. Since the ship sank resting on her side rather than upright you have to dive down to 100 feet to get a good look. Curiosity may get the best of me. The Yukon will probably be my motivation to finally get my advanced certification . I have no doubt it would be worth it to see her once again.

Photo: The Yukon filled with water and sank early Friday morning. Plans for a spectacular public celebration sank with it. (Video photography by Bob Saxman, NBC 7/39 San Diego)

Originally published by Stacy Bacca of KNSD Channel 7/39 San Diego on July 14, 2000

MISSION BAY, July 14 - A 366-foot Canadian destroyer that was scheduled to be scuttled in a carefully choreographed media spectacular on Saturday filled with water and sank early Friday morning, catching organizers by surprise.

The Yukon was anchored nearly two miles off Mission Beach when it sank in about 100 feet of water at about 12:30 a.m. The group that brought the Yukon to San Diego, the San Diego Oceans Foundation, had planned to sink the ship Saturday at 9 a.m. They were going to place seven cameras on board to carefully document the sinking. The plan was to set off a huge fireworks show from the ship Saturday and on cue blow a hole in the hull, sending it to the bottom. Those plans were scuttled when the ship began taking on water more quickly than expected and the Yukon went down in the dark, 32 hours ahead of schedule.

The decommissioned destroyer had undergone extensive preparations to make it a safe diving attraction. Dozens of holes had been cut in the ship’s hull to facilitate the sinking and to make it easier for divers to swim in and out of the destroyer. Organizers had towed the ship out to the artificial reef Thursday and anchored it above its final resting place.

The Yukon is meant to become the focal point of "Wreck Alley", a dive park that was created in 1986. It joins four other sunken boats, including a 165-foot Coast Guard cutter and a 105-foot kelp harvester. The Yukon, which dwarfs the other ships, is meant to become the focal point of the dive park. The San Diego Oceans Foundation hopes eventually to sink more large ships and turn the area into a world-class diving attraction. 

Originally published by Michael Russo of KNSD Channel 7/39 San Diego on July 16, 2000

MISSION BAY, July 16 - The Yukon, which sunk unexpectedly early Friday, has now become a Mecca for divers. And, the first divers to tour the ship underwater got the opportunity Saturday.

It didn’t take long. The minute the Yukon people gave the go ahead, divers made a dash for the new artificial reef. The destroyer was supposed to have been sunk Saturday morning. But it jumped the gun. Divers say they were going in no matter what.

"It’s called not sleeping at all last night," said diver Rick Hoogestraat. He said there is just something about being the first. "We’ve been looking at it since we got here Tuesday."

Hoogestraat was among the first group to take a dive to see the Yukon. To divers like Hoogestraat, it doesn’t matter when the ship went down. "Not a bit, it’s down, been waiting for it for a year and a half. So I’m ready for it to be down."

The group couldn’t go out right away. But they were given the all-clear sign and they took off from Quivira Basin in Mission Bay.

Organizers of the Yukon project will point to this example as a good one. Of the 15 people on that boat, only one of them is from San Diego. Divers from Arizona and Colorado showed up to be the first.

Photo: The first divers on the Yukon. (Photography by Al Bruton, San Diego Oceans Foundation)

San Diego Oceans Foundation  Extensive information about the Yukon including history, statistics, crew stories, and a boatload of photos.

Calilfornia Wreck Divers Club   Maps of the Yukon's layout and tips for divers.

Deeperblue.net:  Article written one year after the sinking with details on how to safely dive on her. 
 

May 14: History, photos, & Key Largo arrival 
May 17: Breaking news & photos of the sinking
May 18: More stories & sinking sequence photos
May 19: Early plans to right her are forming
May 20: Underwater photos & interactive graphic
May 21: Exclusive eyewitness story
May 22: Crew heads south to begin work
May 23: The Lana Rose is on the scene
May 24: Efforts delayed due to weather
May 25: Project Chairman resigns, then talks
May 26: Spiegel Grove is not the first...
May 27: Salvor reveals righting plans
May 31:  Rolling date set.  Graphics & map
June 1:   Volunteers help salvor
June 2:   Work nearing completion
June 4:  A Friday flip?
June 5:  Use your mouse to right the ship!
June 6:  Sinking moved to Monday
June 7:  Attaching the lift bags
June 8:  Weather changes plans
June 9:  Tugboats arrive for final preparation
June 10: She's on the roll...and goes down
June 11:  Salvors are done...she's on her 
               starboard side...and she is 
               WORLD FAMOUS!