Later that morning, the battleship secured a towline to the stern of "S-5" and proceeded to tow her to shallower water. The towline, however, parted and the loose submarine bobbed, then plunged to the bottom about 15 nautical miles (28 km) off Cape May, New Jersey. The Navy began an unsuccessful attempt to raise "S-5", but called it off in November 1920. A second effort in 1921 also was unsuccessful, and "S-5" was struck from the Naval Vessel Register that year. She was the fourth submarine lost in U.S. Navy history.