Divers brave deadly 'Mount Everest of shipwrecks' as famed wreck breaks apart

Some 240 feet beneath the ocean lies a shipwreck so dangerous and difficult to explore that divers have dubbed it the "Mount Everest of shipwrecks" — and it's right off the coast of the U.S.

The wreck's depth and unforgiving conditions leave little room for error. "Even expert divers have had challenges," retired U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Aaron Davenport told Fox News Digital.

Now, after 70 years beneath the Atlantic, the Andrea Doria itself is becoming another hazard as it continues to deteriorate.

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"The Andrea Doria is breaking apart. And [as] it’s moving around, things are falling," Davenport said.

Longtime Andrea Doria explorer John Moyer, who has made over 100 dives to the wreck, said in a 2022 interview that divers have watched it "decay and fall apart."

Speaking to dive magazine X-Ray Mag, Moyer said the steel hull was collapsing onto itself and described the wreck as being in its "final stage" of flattening.

Previously, Divers Alert Network, a nonprofit diving-safety organization, reported that the Andrea Doria was "rapidly deteriorating," citing research from OceanGate, the company that later operated the Titan submersible that imploded during a dive to the Titanic in 2023.

That deterioration could eventually leave divers unable to experience the legendary wreck as generations before them have — even as it still attracts those willing to brave the risks while they can.

The Italian liner Andrea Doria collided with the Swedish liner Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, on July 25, 1956 — sinking beneath the Atlantic the following morning.

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Remarkably, more than 1,600 passengers and crew were rescued from the Andrea Doria, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, which assisted in the rescue effort.

Fifty-two people aboard both vessels were killed in the collision, according to the Coast Guard.

But the Andrea Doria's story did not end when it slipped beneath the Atlantic.

Divers have been drawn to the wreck for decades, lured not only by the challenge of reaching it, but also by the possibility of recovering artifacts and valuables from the famed luxury liner.

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As of 2016, at least 17 scuba divers had died in connection with dives to the Andrea Doria, according to Divers Alert Network.

In 2017, British diver Steven Slater, 46, perished during an expedition to the Andrea Doria, bringing the total number of diving deaths to at least 18.

A key part of the Andrea Doria's appeal is how accessible it can be to ordinary divers, said Davenport, who is also a certified scuba diver.

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With decades of experience in maritime safety and search-and-rescue operations, Davenport said the Andrea Doria differs from other famous wrecks that may require a submarine to reach.

"Other wrecks like the Titanic … are much deeper, and they require a submarine or some type of pressurized vehicle to get down to it," said Davenport, who is based in Virginia.

"This is a famous wreck that you can get to with scuba tanks."

But that doesn't mean the dive is as easy as it may sound.

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Davenport said exploring the wreck requires extensive experience and preparation. "It’s considered the Mount Everest of dives because it’s so challenging, so dangerous," he said.

The expert said the wreck is littered with nets, wires, fishing line and debris, some of which can move or hang inside the deteriorating vessel.

"It’s very easy to get tangled if you’re not careful," Davenport said.

Adding to the danger, the Andrea Doria sank on its side — meaning divers who enter the wreck encounter stairways, corridors and other features turned sideways.

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"You can easily get disoriented because then the stairs and everything are sideways," Davenport said.

Despite the hazards, Davenport said the Andrea Doria can still be explored by divers with the right experience, training and preparation.

"A really, really experienced recreational diver could probably do this OK," he said. 

"If you’re an extreme diver, you’d like to go see this wreck before it can’t be seen anymore," he added.