http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMCS_Kootenay_(DDE_258)
HMCS Kootenay (DDE 258) was
a Restigouche-class destroyer that served in the Royal Canadian Navy and later the Canadian Forces from 1959-1996.
She
was the fifth ship in her class and the second vessel to carry the designation HMCS Kootenay.
Kootenay was laid down on 21 August 1952 at Burrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver
and launched on 15 June 1954. She was officially commissioned into the RCN on 7 March 1959 and carried the pennant number
258 as a destroyer escort.
On
23 October 1969 Kootenay suffered the worst peacetime accident in the history of Maritime Command (MARCOM) or the RCN
when one of her gearboxes exploded. The explosion and the ensuing fire killed 9 crew members and injured at least 8 others.
Kootenay was selected by the Canadian Forces for the Improved Restigouche
(IRE) project and completed this refit on 7 January 1972. She was also selected as one of 10 destroyers in the Destroyer Life
Extension (DELEX) project and completed this refit on 21 October 1983.
In
1989 Kootenay collided with a merchant ship and suffered damage to her bow which was repaired using the bow from her
sister ship HMCS Chaudiere (DDE 235).
She
was decommissioned from active service in the CF on 18 November 1995.
She
was reportedly sunk as an artificial reef off Mexico
in 2001.
