4. MV Joyita
MV Joyita was a merchant vessel built in 1931; it was constructed to endure harsh sea conditions and circumstances. The ship was used by the US Navy as a patrol during the World War II in Hawaii. Due to the war, it was heavily damaged; therefore, it was repaired in order to continue serving. On October 3, 1955, the ship was scheduled to transport copra to Tokelau Islands, estimated to arrive on October 5th. However, still missing, the ship was reported as overdue on October 6th. A rescue attempt endured for the next six days, but no trace of the vessel was found. On November 10th, MV Joyita was found partly flooded and far away from its scheduled route. None of the 25 passengers were on board. Four tons of copra and a few lifeboats were missing as well. The investigation that followed failed to ascertain the reason behind the incident, leaving only hypotheses, such as mutiny, the captain’s abandonment, or death.
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