A local dive team has solved a nearly 140-year-old maritime mystery by identifying the wreck of the SS Nantes off the coast of Devon.
Diver and explorer Dom Robinson confirmed the discovery after spotting crockery stamped with the Cunard Steamship Company crest during an expedition near Plymouth. The vessel, which sank in 1888 after colliding with the German sailing ship Theodor Ruger, had remained lost for over a century.
According to maritime historian Dr Harry Bennett, the team achieved what he called “the underwater archaeological equivalent of a needle in a haystack.” He said the wreck was matched through its structure, cargo, and onboard technology—along with the telltale Cunard plate.
The SS Nantes sank after the crew spent hours trying to save the ship, even stuffing mattresses into the damaged hull. Around 23 crew members died, with only three survivors. Bodies later washed ashore at Talland Bay and Looe, creating what locals at the time described as a haunting scene.
Robinson said he first heard about the site from the UK Hydrographic Office and decided to investigate. “At the end of my dive I found a broken piece of plate... it had the Cunard crest on it. That’s when I knew—bingo, we’ve found it,” he said.
Dr Bennett praised the team’s “methodical, dedicated detective work” and said their findings leave “no reasonable doubt” the wreck is the long-lost Nantes.
Robinson, who has been diving for 35 years, said solving the mystery was about more than just the discovery: “By telling these stories, I’m making sure those who died are not forgotten.”
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The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
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U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
Multiple people were shot on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, prompting an active shooter alert and a campus lockdown, city officials said.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
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