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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Milica Cosic

Inside WWI shipwreck with 10,000 preserved liquor bottles guarded by 3ft 'sea monster'

After being completely destroyed in World War I, a shipwreck forgotten in time has been re-discovered - with a spooky 'sea monster' lurking in its depths.

For the first time in a century, the shipwreck with 10,000 liquor bottles preserving inside it has been uncovered by a diver.

Dominic Robinson, a professional diver, took himself into the depths of the Cornish sea with a team Darkstar, where he discovered an eerie sight where a spooky “monster” is hidden in the deep blue sea.

Upon diving off the boat, Robinson recalled coming across a shipwreck of the SS Libourne, believed to have sunk in 1918.

Team Darkstar embarked on an unknown journey around the Cornish sea (Jam Press/Dominic Robinson)

The British cargo ship, was targeted by Hellmuth von Rockteschell, a German Naval officer, during World War I.

The captain of the ship gave the order to fire and sink the ship, located off the coast of Cornwall, £425 worth of gherkins and 10,000 bottles of liquor were taken down too.

While Robinson discovered no gherkins amongst the rubble and debris left behind, there were many other objects spotted.

"There were lots of bottles visible on the wreck, but we also felt there were many more beneath the sand and bits of wreckage,” Dominic told NeedToKnow.online.

To Dominic's sadness, there were no gherkins spotted amongst the rubble and debris left behind (Jam Press/Dominic Robinson)

He continued: “[Sadly] there were no gherkins.

“The wreck is a long way off shore, so reaching it was reliant on good weather which we were fortunate enough to have.

“Diving [this deep] is always going to be difficult, but the Darkstar team are one of the very best in the country.

“Over many years, they’ve been the first to find and dive lots of iconic deep wrecks.

“I love being able to photograph wrecks that almost no-one else gets to see - it’s a real privilege and makes all the effort feel worthwhile.”

The bizarre sight where rust has encapsulated the boat in tiny bubbles - making the boat look completely unrecognisable (Jam Press/Dominic Robinson)

To his shock, Dominic also came across a “monster” guarding the shipwreck - over three feet long.

The creature actually turned out to be an angler fish, but was a far cry from the average seven-inch creature usually seen in the sea.

The professional diver managed to grab some snaps from his time below, and in one photo, torn nets appear to sway in the ocean and cling on by a single piece of thin rope, which is still tied to the ship. And here, different types of sea life have taken refuge in the narrow corners.

Another image shows rust covering the boat in tiny bubbles making its structure look unrecognisable. But the wreck has certainly left behind a new story to tell.

The wreck has left behind a new story to tell (Jam Press/Dominic Robinson)

Now, it is believed that a team of marine explorers are seeking permission to recover the many bottles of alcohol which have been uniquely preserved after a century in the unknown sea.

However, the 2001 UNESCO convention states that there's protection of underwater heritage – leaving Government officials unable to provide permission.

Despite this, it's believed that very little cargo will be drinkable due to corks being destroyed and allowing water, as well as air into the bottles.

The professional diver took himself into the depths of the Cornish sea to discover this eerie sight (Jam Press/Dominic Robinson)

Above all, those who lost their lives in this tragic incident should be remembered for their sacrifice.

Dominic added: “Three sailors died when the SS Libourne was torpedoed by U-54.

“Like all the other 15,000 merchant mariners who lost their lives in [the war], we should remember their sacrifice.”

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