Goldfinder
Encyclopedia
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of British diver
Underwater diving
Underwater diving is the practice of going underwater, either with breathing apparatus or by breath-holding .Recreational diving is a popular activity...
and treasure hunter
Treasure hunter
Treasure hunters are people who search for treasure.Treasure hunters may also refer to:* Treasure Hunters , a graphic novel* Treasure Hunters , a Hong Kong kung fu film...
Keith Jessop
Keith Jessop
Keith Jessop was a British salvage diver and successful marine treasure hunter.-Early life:Born in Keighley as the son of a penniless Yorkshire mill-worker, he left school without a single qualification, but to make ends meet he started salvaging scrap metal from shallow water wrecks off the coast...
. It tells the extraordinary story of Keith's life and salvaging such underwater treasures as the HMS Edinburgh (C16)
HMS Edinburgh (C16)
HMS Edinburgh was a Town-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy, which served during World War II. She was one of the last two "Town"-class, which formed the Edinburgh sub-class...
, one of the greatest deep sea salvage operations and most financially rewarding in history.
One day in April 1981 Jessop's survey ship called the Damtor began searching for the wreck of the HMS Edinburgh
HMS Edinburgh (C16)
HMS Edinburgh was a Town-class light cruiser of the British Royal Navy, which served during World War II. She was one of the last two "Town"-class, which formed the Edinburgh sub-class...
in the Barents Sea
Barents Sea
The Barents Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of Norway and Russia. Known in the Middle Ages as the Murman Sea, the sea takes its current name from the Dutch navigator Willem Barents...
in the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
of the coast of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. The ship had been sunk in battle in 1942 during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
while carrying payment for military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
equipment from Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. His company, called Jessop Marine, won the contract for the salvage rights to the wreck of the Edinburgh because his methods, involving complex cutting machinery and divers, were deemed more appropriate for a war grave, compared to the explosives-oriented methods of other companies.
In late April 1981, the survey ship discovered the ship's final resting place at an approximate position of 72.00°N, 35.00°E, at a depth of 245 metres (800 feet) within ten days of the start of the operation. Using specialist camera equipment, the Dammtor took detailed film of the wreck, which allowed Jessop and his divers to carefully plan the salvage operation.
Later that year, on 30 August, the dive-support vessel Stephaniturm journeyed to the site, and salvage operations began in earnest. Leading the operation undersea, by mid-September of that year Jessop was able to salvage over $100,000,000 in Russian gold bullion (431 bars) from the wreck out of 465 over several days making him the greatest underwater treasurer in history.
Jessop died on 22nd May 2010.