Mel believed that the wreck of the Atocha was located about 40 miles west of Key West,Florida. However,the weather and the sea in the sea inthat area made it difficult for divers to go down into the ocean. After many tries, on the afternoon of July 20,1985,one of Mel’s divers discovered a large number of gold bars. The diver shot right out of the water and said : “We’ve got the mother lode.” It was the Atocha.