KEYPORT – Check out the deep submergence rescue vehicle Mystic during a special “DSRV Day” at the Naval Undersea Museum on Saturday, Oct. 10. The public is invited and encouraged to attend to hear stories from former DSRV crew members, view DSRV artifacts on special exhibit, and take part in buoyancy experiments for children and families. The event, museum admission, and parking are all free.

The museum is located at 1 Garnett Way, in Keyport.

The museum received Mystic in October 2014, after two years of negotiations and logistics planning. The submersible is one of the most important artifacts in the museum’s collections according to museum curator Mary Ryan. She said DSRV Day’s first-hand accounts from past DSRV pilots and crew will make Mystic more interesting and personal for visitors.

“Nothing brings an artifact to life better than hearing from the people who used it and lived its history,” she said.

Three former crew members will recount their personal stories and experiences beginning at 11 a.m. Oct. 10. Visitors can meet them and other crew members at an informal reception afterwards. Enjoy a birthday cake for the Navy’s birthday at 12:30 p.m. in the lobby. Additionally, artifacts related to the DSRVs will be on exhibit in the museum’s lobby all day, and families can take part in DSRV-related buoyancy experiments from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-3 p.m.

DSRVs Mystic and Avalon provided rapid-response submarine rescue capability to the U.S. Navy from 1977 to 2008. In the event of a submarine accident, a DSRV could be deployed by sea, air, or land to rescue survivors anywhere in the world. The Navy developed the two rescue vehicles in the 1960s after the sinking of USS Thresher in April 1963 revealed significant limitations in the Navy’s rescue capabilities. Although the Navy conducted numerous practice exercises with the DSRVs, they have never been used for a real rescue operation as no American submarine has sunk since the DSRV program began. Today, over four decades later, they remain two of the most technologically advanced submersibles in the world.

For additional information, visit the museum’s website at www.navalunderseamuseum.org or call 360-396-4148.