Raj is an avid traveler, a travel journalist and a blogger. As an author of this website, he shares deep insights on Bermuda and related areas of interest. Since years, he has been helping countless viewers by posting quality articles, answering questions and sharing experiences on this website. Launched in 2008, this website is Bermuda's one of the leading sources of information since many years.
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Your Reviews
Gary "Dutch" Wright (June 2016)
On Feb 4 1963 I was stationed at US Coast Guard Group, Sabine Pass, Tx. as a Radiomam in operations. As the Queen departed the mouth of the Sabine River from Beaumont, Tx. I received a routine departure message on the voice net from the Queen and relayed the message to USCG HQ in New Orleans as required.
After her disappearance, I recall thinking how odd it was because her route was "coastal"' meaning not intending to travel into open seas. At that time there were US Coast Guard Radio Stations and other USCG Station that monitored the international calling and distress frequencies, 500KC morse code and voice 2182KC, all along the East Coast including Galveston, Tx, New Orleans, La., Pensacola, Fl., Key West, Fl., Miami, Fl. and Norfolk, Va. to name a few. This does not include a wide variety of merchant and military shipping that also monitor morse code and voice distress frequencies 24/7.
I find it highly improbable the SS Marine Sulpher Queen broadcasted any form of SOS or Mayday distress call before it disappeared less it would have been intercepted immediately by any number of US Coast Guard or Maritime vessels along its intended route. I recall no such broadcast and that itself is reason for the delay in initiating a search.
K Schneeberger (January 2016)
I suspect, that the SS Marine Sulphur Queen may have encountered a Russian Submarine off of Cuba, and was torpedoed. Initial news reports stated that the SS Marine Sulphur Queen was probably sunk, or taken, and may be located in Cuba. In 1962/1963 unthinkable things happened (Missile Crisis, Kennedy Assassination) in world politics. I believe that the SS Marine Sulphur Queen was a casualty of these events, and the Cold War. Hopefully someone will own up to it, eventually.
Marie Pizarro-Ferrante (February 2015)
Hi, I have been searching for information regarding my father's death all of my life. Interestingly enough your site has answered and raised more questions on the exact site and time of the disappearance. We were notified Feb 14,1963. Do you think it is possible that the vessel was boarded and our merchant marines were taken captive? This was during the Cuban missile crisis and not far from the islands. What is your take on this? I would be grateful for any truth you can give me; I have the official court documents.
Raj (bermuda-attractions.com) February 2015
Hi, in my view while possibility of crew members taken captive can not be absolutely ruled out, but it's quite unlikely. The Cuban Missile Crisis had ended in November 1962 when Soviet Union and United States reached a formal agreement on the missile issue, and no further news of conflict was heard of. Sulphur Queen was reportedly lost on Feb 4, 1963 near Florida Straights which is about 90 miles away from Cuba. While proximity to Cuba can raise such a question, but the timings and inexplicable motive behind captivating the mariners would make me think otherwise. Let me know if you are in any position to share any documents that you have that can help me to look into the matter further. Thanks.
Denis T. Cassidy Sr (January 2015)
My grandson was asking me about my service in the Coast Guard and I related to him how, as a radio operator on the USCGC Rockaway I had copied an SOS from the Queen and I had rebroadcast it on 500 KC. Our ship was in the north Atlantic on an ocean station patrol and too far away to be of immediate service. My grandson asked if I thought he could find out more about the Queen if he googled her and I said yes. I did the same and saw your article about the Queen and that no one had heard from her after RCA radio received the routine message from her. I don't know which day it was when I copied the SOS and rebroadcast it but it should be in the radio log that every radio operator completed before going off watch, if it still exists.
Russel Burgess, a crew member of a ship that searched for the SS Marine Sulphur Queen, wrote to me about what he remembers of the search operation. Check out Search of Sulphur Queen and find out what he wrote.
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