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Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Shipwreck mystery solved as lost vessel resurfaces 140 years after tragic sinking
This discovery made major waves. Researchers have discovered a vessel that sank over 140 years ago — closing the book on one of the UK's most enduring maritime mysteries. Footage of the long-lost wreckage is currently making waves online. The historic steamer, dubbed the SS Nantes, had sunk in 1888 after colliding with a German boat, resulting in the deaths of most of the crew, Jam Press reported. The freighter then lay undiscovered for nearly a century and a half until 2024, when diver and explorer Dominic Robinson identified the shipwreck by dinnerware he found at the wreck site. '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 50-year-old former army officer, who'd been diving for 35 years, told Jam Press. Meanwhile, maritime history expert Dr. Harry Bennett dubbed the recovery the 'underwater archaeological equivalent of a needle in a haystack,' the BBC reported. 'I think the local dive team are to be congratulated on a splendid piece of detective work which reveals this maritime disaster,' said the professor, who teaches at the University of Plymouth. Built in 1874, the SS Nantes was a cargo ship operated by the Cunard Steamship Company. The 14-year-old vessel was traveling from Liverpool, UK, to Le Havre, France, with a load of coal in tow when it was struck by the German sailing vessel Theodor Ruger, which tore a 'big hole in its side,' Bennett recounted to CNN. 'For several hours, the crew tried to save their ship using all manner of materials to try and fill the hole, including mattresses,' he recalled. 'But eventually they lose that fight and the ship goes down very rapidly.' Bennett said that the SS Nantes 'drifted for several hours, before it finally made its way to the bottom, sadly, with many of its crewmen on board.' Their escape efforts were reportedly hindered by the fact that the lifeboats were damaged in the collision. 'There were some 23-odd fatalities,' Bennett told BBC. 'There were three survivors.' Meanwhile, corpses from the wreckage washed ashore in Cornwall, where locals were confronted by the horrific sight of bodies intermingled with pieces of the SS Nantes. Unfortunately, after plunging to the bottom of the ocean, the ship was 'essentially lost' as it was a time period with 'no satellite navigation,' per Dr. Bennett. It wasn't until 2024 that the local dive team identified the sunken vessel. Johnson had caught wind of the unidentified wreck from the UK Hydrographic Office and decided to investigate himself. Toward the end of a mostly fruitless dive, the wreck-plorer saw the broken plate, which provided a major clue as to the vessel's identity. 'I decided to bring it up to the surface [and] we found that [it] had the Cunard Steamship crest on it,' recalled Jonhson. 'It was then bingo, we've found it.' Researchers also identified the sunken ship by the build, technology on board, and dimensions of the vessel — which measured around 240 feet long. After examining the crews' footage and methodology, Dr. Bennett declared that 'beyond any reasonable shadow of a doubt, this is the SS Nantes.' While the sinking of the SS Nantes was an awful tragedy, Robinson hopes that the discovery at least provides a bit of closure to the heartwrenching saga. 'One of the things I like to think is by solving mysteries and telling those stories, I'm ensuring that those people aren't forgotten,' he said.
News.com.au
14 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
Shipwreck mystery solved after nearly 140 years
A shipwreck mystery has been solved after divers uncovered a vessel that had sunk nearly 140 years ago. Diver Dominic Robinson, a British former army officer and military helicopter pilot, captured incredible footage of a wreckage off the coast of Plymouth, England. He set sail with skipper James, crew member Liz and explorers Rick and Andy for the dive. They carefully examined the site of the wreck and discovered a plate with the Cunard Steamship Company logo. This clue led Mr Robinson to discover the wreckage was of the SS Nantes, which tragically collided with a German sailing vessel, the Theodor Ruger, in November 1888. 'The Nantes was built in 1874, in Glasgow, and very sadly lasted a mere 14 years before it was sunk,' Mr Robinson said. '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 on to 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.' After the ship went down, it became lost until Mr Robinson and his team discovered it. Mr Robinson, 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'. He added 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 in 2024. 'We've got the size (of this wreck) from the information on the UK Hydrographic Office,' Mr Robinson said. '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, 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 Mr Robinson 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 among 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.'
New York Post
19 hours ago
- General
- New York Post
Shipwreck mystery solved as lost vessel resurfaces 140 years after tragic sinking
This discovery made major waves. Researchers have discovered a vessel that sank over 140 years ago — closing the book on one of the UK's most enduring maritime mysteries. Footage of the long-lost wreckage is currently making waves online. The historic steamer, dubbed the SS Nantes, had sunk in 1888 after colliding with a German boat, resulting in the deaths of most of the crew, Jam Press reported. The freighter then lay undiscovered for nearly a century and a half until 2024, when diver and explorer Dominic Robinson identified the shipwreck by dinnerware he found at the wreck site. 5 'It's quite a sad story,' said Dominic Robinson (pictured), who helped identify the wreck. Jam Press '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 50-year-old former army officer, who'd been diving for 35 years, told Jam Press. Meanwhile, maritime history expert Dr. Harry Bennett dubbed the recovery the 'underwater archaeological equivalent of a needle in a haystack,' the BBC reported. 'I think the local dive team are to be congratulated on a splendid piece of detective work which reveals this maritime disaster,' said the professor, who teaches at the University of Plymouth. 5 Footage of the sunken vessel, which had been lost to history for 140 years. Jam Press Built in 1874, the SS Nantes was a cargo ship operated by the Cunard Steamship Company. The 14-year-old vessel was traveling from Liverpool, UK, to Le Havre, France, with a load of coal in tow when it was struck by the German sailing vessel Theodor Ruger, which tore a 'big hole in its side,' Bennett recounted to CNN. 'For several hours, the crew tried to save their ship using all manner of materials to try and fill the hole, including mattresses,' he recalled. 'But eventually they lose that fight and the ship goes down very rapidly.' 5 The SS Nantes (pictured) had collided with a German sailing vessel. Jam Press/Rick Ayrton Bennett said that the SS Nantes 'drifted for several hours, before it finally made its way to the bottom, sadly, with many of its crewmen on board.' Their escape efforts were reportedly hindered by the fact that the lifeboats were damaged in the collision. 'There were some 23-odd fatalities,' Bennett told BBC. 'There were three survivors.' 5 Divers at the wreck of the SS Nantes, which was identified in part by the shard of a plate that bore the emblem of the Cunard Steamship Company. Jam Press/Rick Ayrton Meanwhile, corpses from the wreckage washed ashore in Cornwall, where locals were confronted by the horrific sight of bodies intermingled with pieces of the SS Nantes. Unfortunately, after plunging to the bottom of the ocean, the ship was 'essentially lost' as it was a time period with 'no satellite navigation,' per Dr. Bennett. 5 The plate with the stamp of the Cunard Steamship Company. Jam Press/Rick Ayrton It wasn't until 2024 that the local dive team identified the sunken vessel. Johnson had caught wind of the unidentified wreck from the UK Hydrographic Office and decided to investigate himself. Toward the end of a mostly fruitless dive, the wreck-plorer saw the broken plate, which provided a major clue as to the vessel's identity. 'I decided to bring it up to the surface [and] we found that [it] had the Cunard Steamship crest on it,' recalled Jonhson. 'It was then bingo, we've found it.' Researchers also identified the sunken ship by the build, technology on board, and dimensions of the vessel — which measured around 240 feet long. After examining the crews' footage and methodology, Dr. Bennett declared that 'beyond any reasonable shadow of a doubt, this is the SS Nantes.' While the sinking of the SS Nantes was an awful tragedy, Robinson hopes that the discovery at least provides a bit of closure to the heartwrenching saga. 'One of the things I like to think is by solving mysteries and telling those stories, I'm ensuring that those people aren't forgotten,' he said.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- General
- 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.'
The Sun
a day ago
- General
- 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
