# A Question About Sunken Ships **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 3, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-sunken-ships/527604 "2010-02-03T23:41:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-sunken-ships/527604/1 "2010-02-03T23:41:30Z")
The Italian liner “Andrea Doria” sank in 1956. I assume that the insurance company/s which insured the ship have paid the owners long ago-so who owns the wreck today? Since the 1980’s deep sea divers have been diving to the wreck-removing china, statues, and other artifacts. Suppose I were to vist the wreck, and found a ton of gold bars-would the insurance company have a claim aginst me? Or are all shipwrecks considered “abandoned property”, after a certain number of years? Are you free to take whatever you want from them? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-sunken-ships/527604/2 "2010-02-03T23:42:53Z")
Depending on the waters that the wrecks are in, many governments claim ownership to treasure. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2010, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-sunken-ships/527604/3 "2010-02-03T23:43:53Z")
Check this out: [Shipwreck - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipwrecks#Shipwrecks_and_the_law)