Experts have identified the wreck of the SS Nantes, which sank off the coast of Cornwall in November 1888, closing the book on one of the United Kingdom's most enduring maritime mysteries, according to People magazine.

A local group of divers led by Dom Robinson uncovered the wreck near Plymouth. Robinson, who has been diving for 35 years, first began investigating the unidentified wreck after hearing about it from the UK Hydrographic Office last fall. He and his team discovered an unknown wreck about 30 miles southeast of Plymouth, located at a depth of 246 feet in the English Channel.

"It was clear that it was an early steamship," said Robinson, according to People. "At the end of the dive, I found a broken plate. After bringing it to the surface, it turned out that the Cunard Steamship Company coat of arms was on it. Then we knew: this is it!"

The identification was confirmed by the ship's dimensions, the technology used in its construction, and its cargo, including the broken plate that provided a major clue to its identity.

Dr. Harry Bennett, a maritime history expert and professor at the University of Plymouth, praised the discovery of the SS Nantes as "the underwater archaeological equivalent of a needle in a haystack," and commended the exceptional detective work of the local diving team. "All the pieces of the puzzle fit together," Dr. Bennett told CNN. "The local team of divers deserves great recognition for the wonderful detective work that allowed the discovery of this maritime tragedy."

The SS Nantes was a 240-foot-long steamship owned by the Cunard Steamship Company. It operated as a cargo ship, transporting emigrants and cargo between Great Britain and France. In November 1888, the SS Nantes was traveling from Liverpool, UK, to Le Havre, France, with a load of coal in tow when it was struck by the German sailing vessel Theodor Ruger.

"It pierces the side of the Nantes and tears a big hole into its side," Dr. Bennett explained. The collision resulted in the deaths of approximately 23 crew members of the SS Nantes, with only three sailors surviving the tragedy. The crew's escape efforts were hindered by the fact that the lifeboats were damaged in the collision.

"For several hours, the crew tried to save their ship using all manner of materials to try and fill the hole, including mattresses. But eventually, they lose that fight and the ship goes down very rapidly," Dr. Bennett recalled. After the sinking, the bodies of the victims and fragments of the wreck were washed ashore in Talland Bay and Looe in Cornwall, confronting locals with the horrific sight of corpses intermingled with pieces of the SS Nantes.

Robinson shared the story of locating the wreckage of the SS Nantes on his YouTube channel in December, describing it as a vessel that had been known but lost for a long period of time. "By telling these stories, I make sure these people are not forgotten," he said. "The only place where you can do something completely out of the ordinary is to go to the bottom of the sea and explore and find things and identify them."

He added, "I get a huge buzz out of that, and in the UK, we are so fortunate because around our shores are probably more wrecks than anywhere else in the world. I could probably dive every day for the rest of my life on a new wreck."

Robinson emphasized that solving such mysteries is not only a passion but also a way to commemorate the victims of past tragedies. "In today's times, there are few mysteries left to discover. The possibility of identifying the wreck is something special for me; it's a fantastic feeling."

Dr. Bennett summarized the significance of the discovery, stating, "Beyond any reasonable shadow of a doubt, this is the SS Nantes." He praised the local dive team, saying, "I think the local dive team are to be congratulated on a splendid piece of detective work which reveals this maritime disaster."

Written with the help of a news-analysis system.