Page - August 10, 2005
On July 10, 1985, an explosion aboard
the Rainbow Warrior sank the ship, our hearts, and left
one man dead. But out of this tragedy eventually came triumph, and
an end to nuclear testing. Twenty years later, we invite you to
look back at the legacy of the Rainbow Warrior, and learn how a sinking ship set
course to change the world.
Days earlier, the crew of the Rainbow Warrior had rescued and relocated the
people of Rongelap. The United States government had just detonated
the largest nuclear bomb since Hiroshima, and radiation poisoning
impacted 95 percent of the villagers.
After a successful evacuation, the ship docked in Auckland, New
Zealand to prepare for the second part of its mission: to challenge
the French government's nuclear testing plans on the island of
Moruroa.
The Rainbow Warrior never completed that mission. On
the night of July 10, the crew awoke just before midnight to an
explosion. Before they had time to grasp the situation, a second
explosion rocked the boat and the ship immediately began to sink.
Following orders to "abandon ship" all but one of the crew made it
to safety. Trapped below deck and knocked unconscious by the
second blast, Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira drowned.
By dawn, the magnitude of the situation came to light, and an
investigation began leading directly to the French government.