Body of diver recovered from wreck of "Wilhelm Gustloff"

The operation to retrieve the remains of a diver from the wreck of the German liner “Wilhelm Gustloff” has ended.

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The pick-up of the body was carried out by the crew of the Polish Navy vessel ORP “LECH”. The body was transported to Łeba by a unit belonging to the police.

The body of a diver and his equipment have been recovered. The body is being transported by a police unit to Łeba, where a prosecutor is waiting to examine the body and the diver’s equipment. – Prosecutor Patryk Wegner told PAP.

The excavated remains have been taken to the Department of Forensic Medicine in Gdansk for examination, autopsy and testing, the key among which will be the collection of biological material and conducting a DNA test.

From the information given by the prosecutor, we know that these procedures may take several weeks. The key in this case will be the state of preservation of the biological material, which will perhaps make it possible to establish the identity of the diver found.

Many people assume that this is Poznan resident Robert Szlecht, who went missing during a dive on 28 July 2012. The case known in the diving community as “Terra 2”, from the beginning aroused a lot of controversy and emotions. Among other things, because the companions of the missing man claimed that the dive was conducted on the wreck of the tanker “Terra”. The wife of the missing man claimed otherwise, pointing from the beginning to the prohibited wreck of the “Gustloff”.

If it turns out that the remains found are those of Robert Szlecht, the investigation into his disappearance will be reopened.

In addition to the comparative DNA material test, the diving equipment will also be important in identifying the remains. In addition to the computer, which has a serial number and will provide a record of the last dive when the battery is replaced, the deceased was equipped with a large amount of extremely distinctive equipment.

Sweden is famous for its magnificent wrecks that rest at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. One of them is the magnificent Bodekull warship wreck from the 17th century, which we visited in 2021. You will read more about it in issue 19. the DIVERS24 quarterly magazine! The digital version of the magazine is available free of charge, while you can purchase the printed version in our online shop.