Mystery of UK shipwreck is solved 140 years after bodies of crew who used mattresses to plug holes in vessel washed up
Almost everyone onboard was killed.
'NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK' Mystery of UK shipwreck is solved 140 years after bodies of crew who used mattresses to plug holes in vessel washed up
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A SHIPWRECK mystery has been solved after divers uncovered a vessel which sunk nearly 140 years ago.
Crew on board the SS Nantes made desperate attempts to plug the ship's holes with mattresses when it sunk in 1888.
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The ship sank in 1888
Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton
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Divers at the wreck of the SS Nantes
Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton
The wreckage of the SS Nantes, has been discovered, having sunk 137 years ago - killing almost everyone onboard.
The boat tragically collided with a German sailing vessel, the Theodor Ruger, in November 1888, as reported by NeedToKnow.
Only two people survived, with two people jumping to safety on the Ruger, and one person who stayed on the Nantes trying to keep it afloat.
The Nantes sank approximately ten hours after the collision, this took place off the coast of Plymouth, in the early hours of the morning.
Diver Dominic Robinson discovered the wreckage of the SS Nantes last week, 246 feet below sea level.
The 50-year-old former Army Officer found a plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo, belonging to the forgotten vessel.
This enabled him to work out that the wreck he had found was that of the SS Nantes.
Dominic and his crew then carefully examined the site of the wreck, and discovered old crockery which was key in identifying the wreck.
He said: 'The Nantes was built in 1874, in Glasgow, and very sadly lasted a mere 14 years before it was sunk,' said Dominic.
'It was on a passage from Liverpool to La Havre, when it was sunk in France carrying cargo of coal.
Shipwreck explorers find iconic rare CAR while scouring sunken WW2 aircraft carrier - and can even read unique reg plate
'It's quite a sad story.'
After the ship went down, it became lost until Dominic and his team discovered it.
Dominic, who has been an underwater explorer for around 35 years, first caught wind of the unidentified shipwreck from the UK Hydrographic Office.
Maritime Historian Dr Harry Bennett, who works at the institute, explained why the wreck has taken well over a century to find: "Obviously you're dealing in a period with no satellite navigation.
"While the crew tried to save the ship it drifted for several hours, before it finally made its way to the bottom, sadly with many of its crewmen on board".
Dominic added: "The wreck was lost until a local dive team identified it in 2024.
'We got the size of the wreck from the information on the UK Hydrographic Office.
'We knew the boat is about 78 or 79 metres long.
'We also knew that there was a Cunard plate from it - which was basically what we're looking for.
'So what you do is you try to find a list of all the Cunard ships that were sunk.
'You then try and narrow them down to, to a relatively small one, and an old one.
'We obviously know where it sank, so if you can find information about the sinking and the wreck that aligns all those things up, then it's fairly straightforward to identify it.'
The Cunard plate which Dominic found was crucial in the ship's identification.
He said: 'Even though the wreck had been dived before, it was never identified and this small piece of broken plate allowed us to do exactly that.
'The more eagle eyed amongst you may already have noticed the logo from the famous Cunard shipping line.
'And not surprisingly, this is what gave us the most significant clue.'
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A plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo that was discovered on the wreck
Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton
7
Dominic Robinson is an experienced diver
Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton
7
The moment a plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo was discovered on the wreck
Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton
7
Dominic went with a full boat crew and dive team
Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton
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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Divers uncover shipwreck of Glasgow vessel almost 140 years after it vanished without trace
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SHIPWRECK mystery has been solved after divers discovered a vessel from Glasgow which had sunk nearly 140 years ago. Dominic Robinson, a former Army officer and military helicopter pilot, captured incredible footage of the wreck. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Explorers have solved the mystery of a Glasgow-built ship which sank nearly 140 years ago Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton 4 A team of divers went below the waves to scour the wreck site Credit: Jam Press 4 Dominic Robertson was desperate to know the origins of the doomed ship Credit: Jam Press 4 A plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo was key in identifying the vessel Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton The 50-year-old set sail with fellow explorers Rick and Andy, skipper James, and crew member Liz. They carefully examined the site of the wreck and also discovered old crockery, which was key in identifying the wreck. After finding a plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo, Dominic was able to reveal that the wreck he found was that of the SS Nantes. The ship tragically collided with a German sailing vessel, the Theodor Ruger, in November 1988, as reported by NeedToKnow. Dominic, of Plymouth, Devon, said: 'The Nantes was built in 1874, in Glasgow, and very sadly lasted a mere 14 years before it was sunk. 'It was, when it was sunk, on passage from Liverpool to La Havre in France, carrying cargo of coal. 'Sadly, pretty much everybody who was on board the Nantes died. 'There were only three survivors, two guys who jumped onto the Theodor Ruger and then another guy who stayed on the Nantes and was part of the team that sort of tried to keep it afloat. 'Unfortunately, the Nantes went down about ten hours later in the early hours of the morning and he was the only person who was picked up from that. 'It's quite a sad story.' Hundreds of pupils cheered on a teacher about to undergo lifesaving brain surgery - by rocking out to ACDC'S Thunderstruck After the ship went down, it became lost until Dominic and his team discovered it. Dominic, who has been diving for around 35 years, heard about the unidentified shipwreck from the UK Hydrographic Office. Afterwards, the "wreck was essentially lost, obviously you're dealing in a period with no satellite navigation", said Dr Bennett. He added that while the crew tried to save the ship, it "drifted for several hours, before it finally made its way to the bottom, sadly, with many of its crewmen on board". He said the wreck was lost until a local dive team identified it last year. Dominic added: 'We've got the size [of this wreck] from the information on the UK Hydrographic Office. We know it's about 78 or 79 metres long. 'We know that there's a Cunard plate from it - so, basically what we're looking for, and we know it's old as well. 'So what you do is you try to find a list of all the Cunard ships that were sunk. 'You then try and narrow them down to a relatively small one, and an old one. 'We obviously know where it sank, so if you can find information about the sinking and the wreck that aligns all those things up, then it's fairly straightforward to identify it.' The Cunard plate, which Dominic found, was crucial in the ship's identification. He said: 'Even though the wreck had been dived before, it was never identified, and this small piece of broken plate allowed us to do exactly that. 'The more eagle-eyed amongst you may already have noticed the logo from the famous Cunard shipping line. 'And not surprisingly, this is what gave us the most significant clue.'
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Mystery of UK shipwreck is solved 140 years after bodies of crew who used mattresses to plug holes in vessel washed up
Almost everyone onboard was killed. 'NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK' Mystery of UK shipwreck is solved 140 years after bodies of crew who used mattresses to plug holes in vessel washed up Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SHIPWRECK mystery has been solved after divers uncovered a vessel which sunk nearly 140 years ago. Crew on board the SS Nantes made desperate attempts to plug the ship's holes with mattresses when it sunk in 1888. 7 The ship sank in 1888 Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton 7 Divers at the wreck of the SS Nantes Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton The wreckage of the SS Nantes, has been discovered, having sunk 137 years ago - killing almost everyone onboard. The boat tragically collided with a German sailing vessel, the Theodor Ruger, in November 1888, as reported by NeedToKnow. Only two people survived, with two people jumping to safety on the Ruger, and one person who stayed on the Nantes trying to keep it afloat. The Nantes sank approximately ten hours after the collision, this took place off the coast of Plymouth, in the early hours of the morning. Diver Dominic Robinson discovered the wreckage of the SS Nantes last week, 246 feet below sea level. The 50-year-old former Army Officer found a plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo, belonging to the forgotten vessel. This enabled him to work out that the wreck he had found was that of the SS Nantes. Dominic and his crew then carefully examined the site of the wreck, and discovered old crockery which was key in identifying the wreck. He said: 'The Nantes was built in 1874, in Glasgow, and very sadly lasted a mere 14 years before it was sunk,' said Dominic. 'It was on a passage from Liverpool to La Havre, when it was sunk in France carrying cargo of coal. Shipwreck explorers find iconic rare CAR while scouring sunken WW2 aircraft carrier - and can even read unique reg plate 'It's quite a sad story.' After the ship went down, it became lost until Dominic and his team discovered it. Dominic, who has been an underwater explorer for around 35 years, first caught wind of the unidentified shipwreck from the UK Hydrographic Office. Maritime Historian Dr Harry Bennett, who works at the institute, explained why the wreck has taken well over a century to find: "Obviously you're dealing in a period with no satellite navigation. "While the crew tried to save the ship it drifted for several hours, before it finally made its way to the bottom, sadly with many of its crewmen on board". Dominic added: "The wreck was lost until a local dive team identified it in 2024. 'We got the size of the wreck from the information on the UK Hydrographic Office. 'We knew the boat is about 78 or 79 metres long. 'We also knew that there was a Cunard plate from it - which was basically what we're looking for. 'So what you do is you try to find a list of all the Cunard ships that were sunk. 'You then try and narrow them down to, to a relatively small one, and an old one. 'We obviously know where it sank, so if you can find information about the sinking and the wreck that aligns all those things up, then it's fairly straightforward to identify it.' The Cunard plate which Dominic found was crucial in the ship's identification. He said: 'Even though the wreck had been dived before, it was never identified and this small piece of broken plate allowed us to do exactly that. 'The more eagle eyed amongst you may already have noticed the logo from the famous Cunard shipping line. 'And not surprisingly, this is what gave us the most significant clue.' 7 A plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo that was discovered on the wreck Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton 7 Dominic Robinson is an experienced diver Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton 7 The moment a plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo was discovered on the wreck Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton 7 Dominic went with a full boat crew and dive team Credit: Jam Press/Rick Ayrton
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Mystery of UK shipwreck is solved 140 years after bodies of crew who used mattresses to plug holes in vessel washed up
A SHIPWRECK mystery has been solved after divers uncovered a vessel which sunk nearly 140 years ago. Crew on board the SS Nantes made desperate attempts to plug the ship's holes with mattresses when it sunk in 1888. 7 The wreckage of the SS Nantes, has been discovered, having sunk 137 years ago - killing almost everyone onboard. The boat tragically collided with a German sailing vessel, the Theodor Ruger, in November 1888, as reported by NeedToKnow. Only two people survived, with two people jumping to safety on the Ruger, and one person who stayed on the Nantes trying to keep it afloat. The Nantes sank approximately ten hours after the collision, this took place off the coast of Plymouth, in the early hours of the morning. Diver Dominic Robinson discovered the wreckage of the SS Nantes last week, 246 feet below sea level. The 50-year-old former Army Officer found a plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo, belonging to the forgotten vessel. This enabled him to work out that the wreck he had found was that of the SS Nantes. Dominic and his crew then carefully examined the site of the wreck, and discovered old crockery which was key in identifying the wreck. He said: 'The Nantes was built in 1874, in Glasgow, and very sadly lasted a mere 14 years before it was sunk,' said Dominic. 'It was on a passage from Liverpool to La Havre, when it was sunk in France carrying cargo of coal. 'It's quite a sad story.' After the ship went down, it became lost until Dominic and his team discovered it. Dominic, who has been an underwater explorer for around 35 years, first caught wind of the unidentified shipwreck from the UK Hydrographic Office. Maritime Historian Dr Harry Bennett, who works at the institute, explained why the wreck has taken well over a century to find: "Obviously you're dealing in a period with no satellite navigation. "While the crew tried to save the ship it drifted for several hours, before it finally made its way to the bottom, sadly with many of its crewmen on board". Dominic added: "The wreck was lost until a local dive team identified it in 2024. 'We got the size of the wreck from the information on the UK Hydrographic Office. 'We knew the boat is about 78 or 79 metres long. 'We also knew that there was a Cunard plate from it - which was basically what we're looking for. 'So what you do is you try to find a list of all the Cunard ships that were sunk. 'You then try and narrow them down to, to a relatively small one, and an old one. 'We obviously know where it sank, so if you can find information about the sinking and the wreck that aligns all those things up, then it's fairly straightforward to identify it.' The Cunard plate which Dominic found was crucial in the ship's identification. He said: 'Even though the wreck had been dived before, it was never identified and this small piece of broken plate allowed us to do exactly that. 'The more eagle eyed amongst you may already have noticed the logo from the famous Cunard shipping line. 'And not surprisingly, this is what gave us the most significant clue.' 7 7 7 7
