19. USS Scorpion was not in the Bermuda Triangle when it was lost in 1968
Charles Berlitz claimed the Bermuda Triangle was a factor in the loss of “several” nuclear and conventional submarines in the years following World War II. The only nuclear submarine lost anywhere near the region (but clearly outside its accepted boundaries) was USS Scorpion, lost in May, 1968. When Berlitz made his comments the mystery of what happened to Scorpion was still not fully understood, and rumors of hostile action, accident, and supernatural interference all were in play. It was necessary to extend the boundaries of the triangle in order to place Scorpion’s last resting place within, but sensationalist writers had been performing that exercise for years. By the time Berlitz referred to several submarines, Scorpion’s location had been found, though much regarding its loss remained classified, largely due to Cold War restraints.
However, in 1986, the Soviet Union did lose a nuclear submarine K-219, though it too was outside the widely accepted borders of the Bermuda Triangle. Its loss was due to a fire and explosion in one of its missile tubes. Nothing particularly mystical about it. Yet it quickly fell into the hands of the believers in the Bermuda Triangle mystery, and since the submarine was the property of the Soviet Union it was easy to claim a coverup among writers in the West. The accident followed Berlitz’s comments by more than a decade. It is further evidence that the sea is a harsh master, and mistakes by mariners frequently leave little time for correction before tragedy occurs. Though there is nothing supernatural about it. Sailors have dealt with its vagaries for centuries, the vast majority living through the passage, though many were no doubt eventful.