Eric Schmitt & Family Finds $1 Million in Gold Coins Off Coast of Florida
A family of underwater treasure scavengers struck gold only about 15 feet below the water off Fort Pierce, approximately 130 miles north of Miami. Eric Schmitt’s family recovered more than $1 million in artifacts from the 1715 Spanish fleet that sank in the Atlantic, July 31, 1715. This impressive haul includes 51 gold coins of various denominations and 40 feet of ornate gold chain.
Watch this video of the dive when he finds the coins. You can hear the excitement in his voice! It was not really as simple as it looks in this video. The next video from ABC News explains these were under about 5 feet of sand.
Brent Brisben’s company, 1715 Fleet – Queens Jewels LLC, owns the rights to the wreckage. Under federal and state law, Florida will take possession of up to 20 per cent of the find for display in a state museum then, Brisben’s company and the Schmitt family will split the reminder of the haul.
ABC News did a video report on it as well….
Kinda makes me wants me to go search for treasure! Really!
how wonderful. glad they get to keep some of the coins, they will be worth a lot of $$$. my mother took her grandkids to a old goldmine many yrs ago to shift for gold. they had lots of fun, but no finds.
Wow, what great luck for that family! Glad they got to keep some of the treasure!
Woww, I would absolutely love some good treasure hunt 🙂
Have always dreamed about being an archaeologist and imagined finding some old coins or ship wreck or something from an old civilization.
Ahh, can only imagine this family’s joy 🙂
I’m envious, but glad their hard work paid off!
I’m surprised that they got some money from their find.
all that treasure belongs to the Spanish state, I hope to have it back, it’s justice!
Wow that had to be so much fun searching for treasure and then finding the gold . What a great trip for this family.
Thats a lot of money . With a wonderful story to tell all about. Now everyones going to be out there looking.
Oh, wow, I remember hearing this on the news!