The highlight of my life

When I turned 19 I went on vacation with my uncle and aunt to Key West Florida to visit my uncles brother. Gene is his name and he owned the El Rancho Motel there. Well he had just sold the property and bought a new house on the ocean. Gene built boats there for a hobby. One day I was sitting in their home and a man came to the door and Gene knew him and introduced him to all of us. His name was Mel Fisher. He talked to Gene and told him that us that he was a salvager and he was on to something big. He told Gene that if he would let him have the boat that he was building to use in his endeavor that in return he would give him 1 percent of his finds off the ship he was going to salvage. Gene turned him down and Mel shook my hand and pulled a small round gold bar wrapped in a sock out of his pocket and showed me. He was also wearing a huge gold necklace that stuck out like a sore thumb. This was in 1979. Imagine if Gene did give Mel the boat. A couple years later Mel did find the Atocha. Total value $450 million and still growing. If Gene gave Mel the boat his take $4.5 million. I will never forget the tall tanned man named Mel Fisher. Thanks for reading my true story.    Steve

Posted on: December 03, 2010, 10:57:58 AM

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If anyone knew Mel personally they would know that he carried that bar in his pocket.

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Enjoyed your story - I lived in Key West then and thought they were drug smugglers pretending to be treasure hunters - my radar was on the blink 

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Trashdigger you are right. When I first seen Mel standing tall at 6ft 4in sunglasses and the tan any man or woman would want I didnt know who he was. Then when I read about the Atocha I was instantily brought back to that day in my Uncles brothers house. Gene sold that property in 1979 for a cool million dollars. I havent been back to Key West since. I highly doubt that motel is still there. Anyone who knew Mel will say that he carried that gold bar in that sock in his pocket.  Thanks all who read my story.        Steve

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