On April 7, 1989, the Soviet nuclear submarine “Komsomolets” sank in the Norwegian Sea. 42 sailors from the 69-member crew died in the accident. The submarine sank to a depth of 380 m in neutral waters.
On April 7th a fire broke out in the 7th compartment where the main shaft and rudder are located, the real cause is still unknown, it is believed to be an electrical fault. At 11:12 a.m., the submarine announced an emergency signal and began preparing to surface.
At 11:37 the first SOS signal was sent. The message was received ashore and after 8 “decryptions” only at 12:19 p.m. did the rescue operation begin.
Military planes arrive on the scene, and the crew struggles to control the situation. At 4:35 p.m., the pilots noticed that the stern was beginning to sink. At 4:44 p.m., the water entered the command compartment, three minutes later - it was all flooded; 4:50 p.m. - the submarine commander announces “Evacuation of 69 people begins”.
At 5:00 p.m., emergency rescue platforms for 20 people float to the surface. At 6:20 p.m., “Alexei Khlobistov” arrives on the scene and starts a rescue operation for the crew. The bodies of 16 people who died of frostbite and drowning and only 30 sailors who survived were collected. Three of them died on the way to Severomorsk, of the 69-member crew of the K-278, 27 people remained alive.