In One Ear: Rustbucket rapture

Published 6:07 pm Thursday, May 1, 2025

Englishman Dom Robinson, a deep diver, took his love for shipwrecks to a whole other level — he bought a World War I vessel sunk by a torpedo, the SS Almond Branch, for $399 on Facebook Marketplace. It lies off the coast of Cornwall, England, BBC News reports.

He bought the 330-foot vessel from a private party, who bought it in the 1970s from the British Government. Apparently, in the U.K., individuals can buy shipwrecks, according to Popular Science, as long as they follow safety and historical preservation guidelines.

Despite being told by the prior owner that it’s just a “big pile of rusting iron,” Robinson was not deterred one iota from forking over the asking price. Yes, Robinson, who has over 40 years’ experience diving, did take a look at his purchase first. He even has a YouTube site, “Deep Wreck Diver,” with almost 10,000 subscribers.

The one thing he really wants is the ship’s bell, he told the BBC. “So, if anybody finds the bell, they should report it to the Receiver of Wreck (who deals with maritime wrecks law), who will ask me whether I want to keep it or not.”

“And, if they find the bell,” he added, “then obviously, hands off my bell.” (Photos: Dom Robinson)

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