Deep sea exploration crew captures remarkable footage of World War II shipwreck

For decades, it has been unclear what caused the SS Coast Trader, a U.S. cargo vessel, to go down near the western coast in 1942, notes the Global News.

Though officials attributed the sinking to an onboard boiler explosion, many believed an attack by Japan's navy was the actual cause.

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A recent investigation of the wreckage involving the E/V Nautilus and personnel from both the Ocean Exploration Trust and NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has cleared up quite a bit about the incident.

On June 2, an underwater rover was sent down to the wreckage, which is located between the state of Washington and Vancouver Island, notes CBC News.

After inspecting the vessel, Jim Delgado, one of the researchers said, "You can see right down into the boiler flats, and they're intact. I've seen other torpedoed ships and this is definitely major damage and consistent with the damage of a Type 93 Japanese torpedo."

He also noted that other than the torpedo hole, the SS Coast Trader is largely intact.

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