Australian navy divers collected a jar of sand Monday from next to a sunken Japanese World War II midget submarine now on the ocean floor off Sydney's coast.
The sand will be presented to the families of two Japanese submariners — Sub Lt. Katsuhisa Ban and Petty Officer Mamoru Ashibe — who are believed to have died inside the vessel.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Environment and Water Resources said the sand was collected at the request of Ashibe's relatives and would be given to the families when they visit Australia later this year.
During Monday's dive, the navy also recorded images and conducted sonar imaging of the submarine, which archaeologists hope will help them piece together what happened to it in its final hours.