Treasure hunters prepare to recover $3 billion in platinum

By Karen Anderson - WBZ TV

Here on the Sea Hunter docked at Pier 1 in East Boston, the crew is getting ready to get their shipwrecked treasure. After three years working on this project, they are ready to recover the $3 billion in platinum.

MV Sea Hunter Captain Gary Esper says, “We’re just about ready to pull it up. It’s fantastic, can’t wait for it. Been a couple years, we’re ready.”

Kevin LaChance, the MV Sea Hunter Deck Boss, says, “We’ll bring ‘em up to show once and for all, we’re on the money.”

The British vessel, the Port Nicholson, was carrying a $53 million dollar payment in platinum from the former Soviet Union to the U.S., when it was torpedoed by German U-Boat in 1942. It sank, and the location was kept secret until recently.

The Sea Hunter crew located the wreck three years ago, about 50 miles off the coast of Provincetown 700 feet below sea level in 2008.

Their equipment hasn’t been strong enough to battle the powerful current and grueling conditions.

They will head back out, heavily armed, with stronger equipment, as soon as they get a weather window of good conditions.

They have federal rights to the ship now, and say so far no one has claimed the treasure. When it’s salvaged, a judge will decide where it goes. The crew says the US was paid by insurance already.

This team has found a few wrecks in Haiti, but never anything this large. This could be the richest shipwreck in history.