PODCAST: The Adriatic Affair - Finding the 1856 Le Lyonnais Wreck

The Fascinated by Shipwrecks Podcast, hosted by Kathy A. Smith,  is dedicated to the People & the Science of Maritime Archaeology.

• The Adriatic Affair: Finding the 1856 Le Lyonnais Wreck
  • “Of the people on the ship, 114 died and only 18 survived. Those that did lived through extraordinary conditions in the North Atlantic. Storms. Dehydration. Starvation. Bitter, freezing temperatures until they were eventually rescued by a passing ship.” - Jennifer Sellitti

On November 2, 1856, the French passenger steamship, Le Lyonnais, sank after colliding with the American sailing vessel Adriatic off the coast of Nantucket. 

Just 18 of the 132 people aboard survived, enduring horrendous conditions before being rescued. The tragedy sparked a trial of Adriatic’s captain Jonathan Durham who left the scene without rendering assistance. In 2024, Atlantic Wreck Salvage team members, co-led by Jennifer Sellitti, found the ship, the story of which is the subject of her book: The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-and-Run Off the Coast of Nantucket.

In this episode, host Kathy A. Smith talks with Sellitti about how she went from an attorney-by-day shipwreck layperson to becoming a diver and U.S. Coast Guard captain who has helped lead several Atlantic Wreck Salvage’s shipwreck investigations; among them, trips to Britannic, and Andrea Doria.

About Jennifer Sellitti

Jennifer N. Sellitti is a lawyer and a shipwreck hunter. A criminal defense attorney by profession, she and her partner, Joe Mazraani, spend their spare time operating D/V Tenacious, a vessel that locates, dives, and salvages artifacts from shipwrecks in the North Atlantic. Jennifer is a U.S.C.G. licensed captain and a certified diver. She was part of the crew that discovered WW1-casualty West Point, the 1856 steamship Le Lyonnais, and the bow of M/V Stockholm – the vessel that collided with and sank SS Andrea Doria in 1956. She has served as surface support for expeditions to RMS Lusitania, SS Andrea Doria, and Titanic’s sister ship, HMHS Britannic. Jennifer is passionate about educating the public about maritime history. She serves on the board of the New Jersey Maritime Museum, is an associate member of Boston Sea Rovers, and speaks frequently at museums, dive clubs, and conferences about underwater exploration. She is the creator of All Aboard!, an educational program aimed at bringing maritime history into classrooms and communities. Jennifer earned her B.S. in public relations from Boston University and her J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. Her first book, “The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-And-Run Off the Coast of Nantucket” (Schiffer Publishing) will be released on March 18, 2025. The book tells the story of the collision that sank Le Lyonnais and its aftermath and includes an epilogue that chronicles how she and a team from D/V Tenacious discovered and identified the steamship’s remains in August of 2024.

Tune in to EPISODE 9 - Guest: Jennifer Sellitti, and subscribe here: