John Moyer and Diving to the Andrea Doria

John Moyer began diving on shipwrecks in 1975. He has made thousands of dives on wrecks in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Mexico, and the Caribbean. He has dove on the liner Empress of Ireland, Ironclad Monitor, Light Cruiser USS Wilkes-Barre, and was one of the first Americans to dive on the WW1 German Fleet in Scapa Flow, Scotland.

He was granted an Admiralty Arrest of the Andrea Doria in US Federal Court in 1993 and was named Salvor-in-Possession of the wreck.

Moyer is a member of the Atlantic Wreck Divers Dive Club and is the recipient of the prestigious Pioneer of Northeast Diving Award.

He has lectured at the Explorers Club in NYC and Philadelphia. His Andrea Doria exhibits have been displayed at the Atlantic City Ocean Life Center, Philadelphia Seaport Museum, Heinz History Center, SUNY Maritime College, and many more. His dives and court case has been written about in numerous books, magazines, and newspapers. He appears in the film 'Andrea Doria: Are the Passengers Saved?'.

Moyer is the author of “A Conservator's Reflections on the Andrea Doria” and co-author of the paper “The Decay of the Andrea Doria” published by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers.

He received a Bachelor's degree in Biology from Stockton University. While in college he worked as an Instructor at the Dive Shop of New Jersey and later as a Divemaster at Key West Divers.

Recovery of the Gambone panels

In 1993, John Moyer assembled a team of divers to recover two mosaic panels designed by Italian sculptor Guido Gambone (1909-1969). From photographs and deck plans, they knew the panels had been installed in the Winter Garden, a first class lounge on the ship. Moyer chartered the Research Vessel Wahoo for the project and spent five days at the wreck site raising the panels. Underwater footage of the recovery is screened in the museum for the duration of the exhibition.

Diving team: John Moyer, Gene Peterson, Gary Gentile, Jon Hulburt, Brad Sheard, Bill Campbell, Kevin England, Kevin Brennan, Tom Packer, Steve Gatto, Peter Hess, Bart Malone, Evelyn Dudas, Glen Plotkoy John Reekie, Terry German, Kim Martin, Billy Deans, and Norman Lichtman

Wahoo crew: Capt. Steve Belinda, Capt. Janet Bieser, Hank Garvin, Gary Gilligan, Phil Galetta, Sally Wahlman, Joel Silverstein, and Lisa Herrera

Recovery of the ship’s bell

This 140-lb. bell was recovered on July 10, 1985 from the Auxiliary Steering Station located in the stern of the wreck. The team is seen here aboard the Dive Vessel Seeker docked in Block Island, Rhode Island. Standing, from left to right, is Gary Gentile, Art Kirshner, Mike Boring, Tom Packer, and Ken Gascon. Seated, from left to right, is Bill Nagle and John Moyer.