Man Who 'Always Fancied' Owning A Shipwreck Buys One On Facebook Marketplace For

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Now, Robinson is the proud owner of the S.S. Almond Branch , a roughly 330-foot-long cargo ship that sank during World War I. It's submerged off the coast of Cornwall, England, 190 feet beneath the surface of the English Channel.

After the war, the British government processed an insurance claim for the sunken ship and became its owner. Then, in a bid to recoup some of its losses, the government sold the vessel to a private owner in 1978.

Nearly 50 years later, the owner decided to part ways with the historic ship. Robinson, who had already dived the wreck, snapped it up.

According to  BBC News ' Jonathan Morris, the transaction was approved by the  Receiver of Wreck , a government official who manages "voluntary salvage wreck material" across the U.K.

Once the deal was done, Robinson was eager to revisit the Almond Branch . He braved the chilly January weather to dive the wreck with a few friends.