Plainwell, MI, July 26, 2024 –Busch Marine Inc., with locations in Plainwell, Freeland, and Carrollton Michigan, is embarking on a search mission for the wreck of the SS I’m Alone. This deep ocean search will be conducted in the Gulf of Mexico at a depth of 12,000 to 16,000 feet. The SS I’m Alone was a renowned rum-running sloop during prohibition and sank in a hail of gunfire from the United States Coast Guard while sailing in international waters. The 1929 sinking of the I’m Alone and its subsequent court case was an international incident that captured the attention of people worldwide.
Nearly 100 years later, Busch Marine is launching a search mission to locate its wreck, which is deeper than the Titanic. Although the wreck has no monetary value, Busch Marine will use this project to test and develop proprietary deep ocean remote technology. This work will be conducted off our state-of-the-art research vessel, Christina Busch, which is outfitted with a certified 3-man submersible, side scan sonars, magnetometers, ROVs, camera sleds, and other marine search equipment.
Busch Marine has designed and developed a specialized ROV for use in deep ocean marine archaeological sites. The process of exploration, research, and documentation in the deep ocean presents a unique challenge that they are excited to undertake. Tasks like capturing 3D photogrammetry images of sites on the ocean floor help advance their understanding of the deep sea and historical events. This new ROV system has applications in ecosystem monitoring, resource remediation, and general ocean exploration.
This endeavor presents a unique opportunity to witness the wreckage’s current state and add a worthy final chapter to its remarkable story.
“For half an hour on March 22, 1929, there was a shooting war between the US and Canada. Jack Randell, fiery skipper of the most famous run runners of them all, wouldn’t surrender his ship to the Coast Guard, so they blew him out of the water.” – James Bannerman