A team of dedicated researchers was recently astounded when they came face to face with a ship that had not been seen for 168 years.
Discovery of the steamship Lyon The announcement was made recently by Atlantic Wreck Salvage (AWS), which owns and operates the vessel. D/V Tenaciousdiscovered the vessel off the coast of southeastern Massachusetts.
The ship was built in 1855 and sailed for just one year before sinking on November 2, 1856, during her first voyage back to Le Havre, France. Adriatic SeaHe sustained injuries during the collision and fled the scene.
Lyon A small hole was developed in the hull and the ship sank within a few days, killing 114 of the 132 passengers and crew, and the few who survived the wreck were trapped in lifeboats for a week.
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Researchers recently discovered the remains of the Le Lionnais shipwreck, which dates back to 1856. (Jennifer Serritti / Atlantic Wreck Salvage)
Jennifer Cerritti of AWS told Fox News Digital that the feeling of finding the ship was “hard to explain,” after she and her partner, Joe Mazrani, had been searching for the vessel for eight years.
“For the team, it was a mixture of relief and joy, but also a sense of, ‘What’s next?’” she explained. “For me personally, I’ve spent a lot of time learning and telling the stories of the people who were on this ship. Lyon Finding her felt like a closure. It felt like a way to help those who died so long ago finally rest in peace.”
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Part of Le Lionnais' engine cylinder was discovered during the search. (Jennifer Serritti / Atlantic Wreck Salvage)
Mr. Serritti served as a public defender in New Jersey. D/V Tenaciousadded that he had always been convinced the wreck still existed, but had doubts about whether it would ever be found.
“The North Atlantic is notoriously harsh for shipwrecks,” she says. “Storms, currents, shifting sand and fishing gear break shipwrecks apart. Many older wrecks become completely buried underwater over time.”
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Le Lionnais was located in the waters off the coast of Massachusetts. (Jennifer Serritti / Atlantic Wreck Salvage)
“In Nantucket Shoal, wrecks are often difficult to find because the geology of the ocean floor makes them invisible to sonar,” Cerritti added, “and we were concerned that when we found this ship, it was more than 1,000 feet below the continental shelf.”
Shipwreck enthusiasts, Lyon This isn't just a shipwreck: Her upcoming book, “Adriatic Incident: Hit and Run at Sea off Nantucket,” delves into the wreck in detail and is due to be released in February.
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“The 1850s was a time of transition from sailing ships to steam ships,” Cellitti explains. “This transition caused merchants, insurance companies, and countries around the world to grapple with questions like what happens when sailing ships and steam ships meet at sea, who is liable if ships from different countries collide, and what laws apply on the high seas.”
It took Serritti more than eight years to discover the wreck. (Jennifer Serritti / Atlantic Wreck Salvage)
Cellitti said the ship “was not very well preserved,” but he looked forward to a complete documentation of the wreckage, which will likely take years.
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“Shipwrecks are relics of a bygone era,” the marine expert said, “frozen moments that connect us to history in ways that stories alone cannot convey.”
