The luxury liner SS Andrea Doria made the voyage from Italy to America a hundred times without incident, and earned rave reviews from her wealthy passengers, who loved her modern décor and fabulous food. On her hundred-and-first trip, however, a cascade of poor decisions, design flaws, and bad luck ended in her sinking just off the coast of Massachusetts. On this episode, we take you through one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century, and attempt to explain why so many experienced divers are still risking their lives trying to salvage the wreck.

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Sources for this episode include:

“The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria", by Greg King and Penny Wilson, 2020

“Setting the Hook: A Diver’s Return to the Andrea Doria” by Peter Hunt, 2011

“Andrea Doria 2020” dive video, 2020

“Down to the Andrea Doria” newsreel, 1956

“New images from submarine show current state of Andrea Doria wreck” by T. Thadani for the Boston Globe, 2016

“Andrea Doria Safe Opened” by M. Kernan for the Washington Post, 1984

“Andrea Doria – Tragedy and Rescue at Sea” collected and maintained by P. Grillo, consulted 2021

Personal correspondence by L. Siness, 1956

“Andrea Doria” page by R. Galino for New Jersey Scuba

“Everest At the Bottom Of the Sea” by B. McMahon for Esquire Magazine, 2000