Last Friday, I decided to take a quick visit to the New Jersey Shore to visit one of my favorite Irish pubs called http://www.kellystavernusa.com/ in an appropriately named town of Neptune City. The Reuben Sandwiches are THE BEST IN THE WORLD! After many New Jersey wreck dives, especially night dives to various in-shore wrecks, Kelly's was the place to get some great food at a decent price. During our lunch, I got into a good conversation with my wife over the diversity of fantastic wreck sites that New Jersey has in my own "backyard". Everything from ocean liners, German submarines, tankers, freighters, Coast Guard vessels and artificial wreck reefs, our state has it all.
Going from the Titanic to our next little vessel is quite the "sea change". Yesterday, I received an email from an old dive buddy of mine named Captain Steve Gatto. Steve is a veteran wreck diver that has explored many of the deep shipwrecks off the Atlantic coast of North America. In addition to his diving and captaincy duties, he is part of the Marine Forensics panel of the Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers that works on finding out why ships sink. One of the ships that he is working on is the ninety-four foot, ocean-going tugboat Thomas Hebert. Steve and his dive partner Tom Packer were the first to dive and examine her watery remains to try to answer questions regarding her swift sinking off the New Jersey shore on March 7th, 1993, taking five crewmen down with her. Fortunately two crewmen were found alive after being in the cold ocean waters. Steve is completing a book that will summarize the comprehensive history of this vessel and will describe its final moments, the rescue, the dives to the wreck site and finally provide definitive marine forensic evidence to her controversial sinking. Steve was featured on a wonderful segment of the History Channel's Deep Sea Detectives series last year and is finalizing the book on the Thomas Hebert. This book can be previewed at Steve's website at http://www.tugboatdown.com/ and I can guarantee will be a great read.
My father died on the Thomas Herbert his name was Charles Landers any information you could e-mail me would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by: Melissa Taylor | February 08, 2007 at 10:03 AM
My grandfather died on that boat also.I will be glad when the truth comes out about the mysterious sinking. I would like to speak with other victims of this so called mystery. It's been a long time.
Posted by: shane curry | November 09, 2007 at 09:06 PM
If any 1 has any info about Jim Westmoreland please contact me. I have been trying 2 find the lady he was living with at the time he was killed. Her name is Rhoda Pacifio and they were living in Norfolk,Va. I was a child when the boat sank. I didnt get 2 know my papa or the woman he was with. Thanks alot.
Posted by: shane curry | November 09, 2007 at 09:18 PM
Another area that has excellent wrecks is the great lakes region - check out: http://www.divethegreatlakes.com
Posted by: Jerry | March 31, 2008 at 09:27 PM
If any of you read this my email address is [email protected], I would like to hear from you.
Posted by: Melissa | January 10, 2009 at 12:53 AM
I'm for your article, I can not help but check for new updates to your web page. Your page is very interesting!
Posted by: air yeezy | October 31, 2010 at 09:53 PM
I worked with S.C.Loveland in the mid-1980,s. I wanted to find out if any of the men I worked with were killed on the Thomas Hebert..Please E-Mail me if possible.
Posted by: C. Marsella | November 07, 2010 at 02:38 PM
i work on the thomas hebert as a deckhand. i knew most of the guys on here. if anyone wants to know about the thomas hebert email me @ [email protected] bo
Posted by: bo rodriguez | July 23, 2011 at 10:56 PM
I worked with cook Sonny Hatch in the mid 1980,s on board the ocean going tugboat Chief. Someone told me he was killed on the Thomas Hebert. If you have any info, please E-Mail [email protected]
Posted by: Christopher Marsella | December 02, 2011 at 07:26 PM