A major discovery took place on April 16. After more than seven decades, a team of Deep Ocean Search treasure hunters have finally located an abandoned World War II ship known as the SS City of Cairo. The ship contained 100 tons of silver that was worth $51 million.
On Nov. 4, 1942, the SS City of Cairo was making its way from India to England. The ship was transporting the silver, but it was also carrying 296 civilians. The silver was being transported to England as a way to support the war-effort.
Unfortunately, the SS City of Cairo crossed paths with a German U-boat. The U-boat launched a pair of torpedoes which sank the ship. Following the wreckage, the ship fell 16,800 feet beneath the surface.
Only a handful of people died when the ship sank. However, 100 more passed away in a struggle to get onto the six lifeboats that were released. When the remaining lifeboats were found nearly two months later, all but two had passed away.
Deep Ocean Search began searching for the ship in 2011. The company decided to use a submarine. Once they found the ship, they noticed that it was split apart and covered in silt. In the end though, their efforts paid off.
“Under contract to the UK Ministry of Transport, DOS recovered several tens of tons of silver coins from a depth of (5,150 meters),” the company said.
Not since the 1987 finding of a South African Airways plane has an under-water discovery been so important. However, since a valuable item has been recovered, this will be something that people will talk about for a long time to come.
