Dive The Austin Smith Wreck, Exuma Cays, Bahamas

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The “Austin Smith” (aka HMBS Flamingo) was originally a 90-foot Bahamian Defense Force Cutter that was decommissioned in 1995. It was being towned to San Salvador to be sunk as an artificial reef when the ship sank while in route. The Austin Smith now sits in 60 feet of water in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas, .56 miles east of Normans Cay. On May 10, 1980, the HMBS Flamingo attempted to arrest two Cuban fishing vessels poaching in Bahamian waters. In retaliation, the two Cuban MiG-21s invaded the Bahamas airspace and fired on the HMBS Flamingo and sank the ship. Austin Smith, Fenrick Sturrup, David Tucker, and Edward Williams, were the four Bahamian marines killed in the attack. The government agreed to name the decommissioned and sunk vessel as an artificial reef after the brave marines that died during the incident, hence “The Austin Smith”.

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