One man's quest for sunken treasure - $3B worth
It's a story that could have come from the imagination of Robert Louis Stevenson. It involves sunken cargo, a determined treasure hunter, and a bit of mystery. CBS News correspondent Seth Doane explains it could end with the richest haul from a shipwreck ever.
Aboard his 200-foot salvage ship "Sea Hunter", Greg Brooks calls himself a treasure hunter extraordinaire.
"What are you searching for?" asked Doane.
"We're not searching for anything," said Brooks. "We found $3 billion worth of platinum."
Brooks believes he's located the British merchant ship "Port Nicholson." The ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat during World War II and sank about 50 miles off Cape Cod.
He's convinced it was secretly hauling 4,600 bars of platinum and gold -- a wartime payment from the Soviets to America.
"Back in 1942 when she sunk, they did not have the technology to go back and retrieve it, it was too deep," he said.
In 700 feet of water, the team's robotic sub discovered wooden boxes in the wreck's debris field. Too heavy for the small sub to lift, Brooks believes they hold platinum and gold ingots.
"What if you get out there and it turns out this isn't what you think it is? It's ammunition, or something worthless?" Doane asked Brooks.
"Well, if that does happen -- I think it's a very small chance, but there's always that chance -- I'll go to another one," he replied.
The ship's official manifest lists only auto parts and military munitions. But Brooks produced a different cargo list, which he says he uncovered from declassified U.S. Treasury archives. Brooks edited the document to protect his trade secrets.
He's secured the rights to salvage the wreck. But with perhaps $3 billion at stake, he could face a fight in court over ownership.
At one point Brooks showed Doane a .50-caliber rife. He's even worried about pirates.
"What we're talking about is valuable treasure. You have to protect yourself," he said.
In 19 years, Brooks has claimed several million dollars in treasure.
"The hunt for treasure keeps you excited every day, he said. "You're out there saying, 'Am I going to get some today?'"
For now, the crew waits for calmer seas -- perhaps in mid-March -- and the chance to solve this mystery of the deep.
