Divers recover treasure from Argentina shipwreck
- On 03/08/2009
- In Treasure Hunting / Recoveries
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By Debora Rey
Divers have concluded a mission to retrieve 9.5 tons of unrefined gold and silver worth nearly $22 million from a shipwreck off southern Argentina.
A border police officer on duty in the city of Rio Gallegos confirmed to The Associated Press that the effort to recover the Polar Mist's valuable cargo ended Sunday.
The refitted Chilean fishing trawler sank Jan. 18, two days after its eight-person crew sent out a distress call during a violent storm. They were rescued by helicopter, but the vessel went down while being towed toward shore near the Straits of Magellan.
The boat sank 25 miles (40 kilometers) from land and came to rest in waters about 260 feet (80 meters) deep.
The border police officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to be quoted by name.
His agency is involved in the recovery effort, though he was unable to say how much of the treasure was recovered.
Jorge Palmes — president of Cerro Vanguardia SA, the Argentine owner of the mine where the gold was extracted — said seven bars of metal remained on the ocean floor.
silver shipwreck gold Argentina Straits of Magellan
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