Treasure hunter and former owner of the Holiday Inn in Cayman, Herbert Humphreys has laid claim to what he says is a historically important wreck in international waters.
Captain Humphreys, known as Herbo, said he had found the wreck of a wood-hulled paddle wheel steamship that sank in the 19th Century with a large loss of life.
He said that because a documentary and feature film about the shipwreck and its recovery are planned, he could not reveal the name or location of the wreck at the moment.
‘We can’t say anything more about the wreck or where it is until everything is documented and the salvage completed,’ said Capt. Humphreys, who is a resident of both Cayman and Memphis, Tennessee.
He said the wreck was ‘mostly intact, very valuable, and is not a warship. It is in international waters and is less than 500 feet deep, which makes for an affordable recovery.’
He added: ‘The tragic loss of the vessel was the source of many modern and 19th Century books and articles… the name of the wreck would be instantly recognisable to anyone versed in this type of business.
‘There was a large loss of life, many of the passengers being very wealthy and well known.’
The shipwreck has been arrested in federal court in the United States since Capt. Humphreys found it in October last year, meaning his maritime research and recovery company, Marex Global has legal claim over the wreck.
He hopes to return underwater to the wreck this month, either in the ROV or a manned submersible.
He said it was important that the archaeological integrity of the wreck be preserved. ‘We’re not going to go down there and tear the wreck apart to locate the treasure. It’s a time capsule,’ he said. ‘There are important people on board. There are important documents, as well as coins and that kind of thing,’ he added.
Capt. Humphreys, who owned and operated the now defunct Cayman Maritime and Treasure Museum, said he was interested in re-establishing another maritime museum in Cayman.
‘This one wouldn’t just be looking at old bottles and coins – although I still have those – but would have modern, interactive features,’ he said, adding that he would be interested in opening the museum as a joint venture.
Capt. Humphreys and his long-term friend and chief engineer Kem Jackson have salvaged many shipwrecks. The first artifacts from a wreck they brought to Cayman was in 1983 when they found the remains of HMS Thunderer lost in the late 18th Century off the Formigas Banks between Cayman and Jamaica.
Since then, they have also located, recovered and sold or donated artifacts from shipwrecks including the Spanish galleon Maravilla lost in the Bahamas in 1656 and the Cazador from which 400,000 ‘pieces of eight’ were recovered, the SS North Carolina from which two gold coins alone fetched US$420,000, the Vera Cruz , the Jupiter wreck, the ‘Henry VIII wreck, and the Ancona, an Italian liner in 1,800 feet off Sardinia.
Capt. Humphreys first came to Cayman in 1970 after being discharged from active duty in the navy and opened the Holiday Inn on Seven Mile Beach in 1972, which he ran until 1999.
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