New four-part video and audio documentary series The Flood, from The Australian, details the harrowing, near-fatal flooding of HMAS Dechaineux in 2003, and how 60 Australian submariners survived.
The series recounts how a burst hose dumped at least 12,000 litres of seawater into the lower motor room of the Dechaineux in about 12 seconds. The captain and crew speak of the desperate fight to save the submarine and surface without loss of life.
The Australian’s Editor-in-Chief Michelle Gunn said:
“The Flood is an inspiring story of courage, resilience, teamwork and ingenuity, and a compelling example of the multimedia storytelling our newsroom specialises in. The documentary chronicles Australia’s closest peacetime brush with losing a submarine and its entire crew, told with power, care and rigour.”
The Australian’s Chief International Correspondent, Cameron Stewart, is the presenter of The Flood. He broke the original story and interviews, for the first time, the captain of HMAS Dechaineux, now-retired Commodore Peter Scott.
Cameron Stewart said:
“I’ve wanted to tell this story for more than two decades. Two years after the incident, a contact whispered that the navy had nearly lost a submarine, and I chased the full truth for a cover story, but without the captain’s account I still had only three‑quarters of it. Now Peter Scott’s voice, raw, candid and deeply personal, anchors the series. It’s an extraordinary event in Australia’s history, 60 men and women coming together in desperate minutes to save their boat. It’s a survival story and an incredible human drama.”
The Flood is executive produced by Claire Harvey and edited by Jasper Leak.
The documentary launches today, Tuesday June 2 with the four episodes, available in audio and video, released weekly. It will also have extensive editorial coverage.
Subscribers will be able to watch and listen to The Flood episodes through first access on The Australian’s app and website, and via Apple Podcasts, where listeners can link to their subscription of The Australian. After the two-week subscriber first window, episodes will be available across all platforms, including YouTube and Spotify.
The Flood is sponsored by the Australian War Memorial.