Amateur Diver Stumbles Upon Century-Old WWI Shipwreck—Snaps It Up on Facebook for Mere $400
And at just $400, Robinson couldn’t pass up the opportunity to purchase the wreck himself — despite the purchase making his wife “furious.” Robinson insisted, however, that the wreck of the SS Almond Branch is more than interesting enough to justify the price.
Dom Robinson Buys The Wreck Of The SS Almond Branch On Facebook Marketplace
Dom RobinsonDom Robinson explored the wreck of the SS Almond Branch with his friend Rick Ayrton in January before purchasing it.
During World War I, the SS Almond Branch operated as a defensively-armed British merchant ship. It was torpedoed off the coast of Cornwall by a German submarine in 1917, and now sits 190 feet beneath the surface of the English Channel.
After the war, the British government processed an insurance claim for the ship and became the legal owner. Trying to recoup some losses in the late 1970s, the government then sold the shipwreck to a private owner. Evidently, that owner didn’t find anything of value among the wreckage and decided to sell it.
WrecksiteThe SS Almond Branch, the British merchant ship that was ultimately torpedoed by a German submarine in November 1917.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Robinson explained that in the United Kingdom, “it’s possible for private individuals to buy and sell [shipwrecks], and I’ve always fancied owning one. So, when I saw this advert on Facebook Marketplace, I knew that this was my opportunity.”
Robinson said he doesn’t expect to find any valuable treasures among the wreck, which made the purchase a bit of a hard sell for his wife, Suzi, who was “furious” about the decision.
Post Comment