Maybe It Would Be Better to Leave It
Treasure hunter Greg Brooks has announced he has found the S.S. Port Nicholson, which was lost in 1942. The British ship was sunk by German U-boats 50 miles off Cape Cod, Mass. He says the ship, now under 700 feet of water, was carrying 71 tons of platinum bars that would now be worth $3 billion — which would be the richest shipwreck recovery ever. The British government scoffs at the claim, saying the Port Nicholson wasn’t carrying platinum. But if it turns out that there are precious metals aboard, its ownership will be an international dispute: the British were carrying it to the U.S. as payment for war supplies from Russia. (RC/AP) ...If Brooks thinks it’s hard to recover 71 tons of booty from 700-foot-deep water, wait until he tries to recover it from the court system.Story Update: As of December 2013, the salvage operation was still not completed, and there have been no confirmed reports of any huge treasures. Brooks put his vessel Sea Hunter up for sale, and laid off most of his staff and crew, and has reportedly been sued by one of his investors.
In April 2015, Brooks’ rights to the Port Nicholson were dismissed with prejudice, preventing him from pursuing any further salvage of the shipwreck. The order also required him to return the several items he recovered. No platinum was ever found.
Original Publication Date: 26 February 2012
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 18.
This story is in True’s book collections, in Volume 18.
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