[rlmorel]

I have always found it eerie to hear of the discovery of human remains in shipwrecks.

One of the most poignant to me was in the search for the wreck of the Bismark, they found an area nearby where there was a circle of boots and pieces of metal all resting on the ocean floor.

Apparently, the german surviors from the sinking of the Bismark had fastened themselves together with clips on their lifejackets, all died of exposure, then slowly sank to the bottom of the ocean which removed traces of everything except those metal clips and the leather boots.

My God. Can you imagine being the person to see that on the video screen for the first time?

[Captain Walker]

A friend dived on the wreck of the USS San Diego off Fire Island; the ship had been torpedoed by a German sub in 1918. Almost everyone survived, but the sailors still took off their shoes before abandoning the ship, and pairs of leather shoes are still found on the ocean floor around the ship.

Apparently leather just doesn't degrade at any noticeable rate.