Hero victims of lost Falklands ship found

The wreck of a Royal Navy vessel which deliberately made itself a target to Argentine bombers to help save the lives of others has been found by divers.

HMS Ardent went down on May 21 1982 after being hit by nine bombs.

It positioned itself as a target to help to protect 4,000 men going ashore to the Falklands.

Now, 25 years on, a team of Navy divers has found the wreck that is effectively a war grave and placed two plaques on the ship's watery remains.

One honours Ardent's 22 dead who died to help save the lives of so many others. The second pays tribute to Able Seaman Stephen Hayes who was just 21 when the ship sunk, taking his life with it.

Ardent survivor Commander Ken Enticknapp joined the search for the lost vessel and said: "This is a solemn moment, a reflective moment. I did not expect to be here, so close to the ship after all these years."

He added: "Never a day goes by when I do not think about what happened. It was terrifying and I thank the lord everyday I survived."

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