Based at Port Egmont in the Falkland Islands, Swift undertook an exploratory trip along the Patagonian coasts before the winter of 1770. A storm forced them to stop near the site of present-day Puerto Deseado to rest and dry their clothes. Entering the Río Deseado, they ran aground on a submerged rock and, although after getting rid of much of the cargo, they managed to free the ship, minutes later they came across a second uncharted rock. At 18:00 on 13 March 1770, Swift sank along the coast of Puerto Deseado.[1] Three of the ninety-one crew members (the cook and two soldiers) died. The cook's body appeared days later and he was buried after an impromptu funeral.[2][3]
At the time of the wreck, the ship was under the command of Captain George Farmer.[4] The ship was commissioned to defend the base of Port Egmond, and at the time was embarked on an exploratory voyage of South America.[4]
Archaeological exploration
The discovery of HMS Swift in Puerto Deseado represented the beginning of underwater archaeology in Argentina.[5] The ship was found by young amateur divers on 2 February 1982; the remains of one of the lost soldiers was found and buried ashore.[6] The ships wreckage became part of the impulse that led to the first national laws regarding underwater archaeology in the country.[4] Investigations into the wreckage were primarily done by the National Institute of Anthropology and Latin American Thought (INAPL).[4]
