Retired Argentine Warship Sinks While Moored

File photos of the ARA Santisima Trinidad, also known as the ‘Holy Trinity’

An Argentine navy warship made famous for its role in the Falklands War has sunk, Argentina’s Navy confirmed this week.

According to a Navy statement, the ARA Santisima Trinidad – aka Holy Trinity – began to list and partially sank while tied to a dock at a naval base in Puerto Belgrano, Argentina. The Navy claims that a six inch pipe had burst, which caused the ingress of water and the ship sank within a few hours. A picture of Holy Trinity shows the sunken vessel resting completely on its side next to the pier to which it was once tied up.

Argentina’s defense minister, Arturo Puricelli, was seemingly ashamed that the vessel could sink so quickly while connected to the pier. Without going into detail, Puricelli said that the loss of the vessel was due to “negligence in the best-case scenario, or an attack,” and he has called for a full investigation by the navy.

The ARA Santisima Trinidad is best known for unloading a team of divers at Puerto Enriqueta on April 1, 1982, the day before Argentine troops invaded the British-controlled Falkland islands.

The ship had been at the base in Puerto Belgrano since being retired from active service in 2004.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 109,059 members