With profound sadness and an indescribable sense of loss, we share with our community that Captain Joe Mazraani has left this world. Joe died on July 29, 2025, in a diving-related incident. While we are choosing to keep the details private, we currently have no reason to suspect diver error or equipment failure. All indications point to a medical emergency. Of course, the full investigation is ongoing. The incident occurred approximately 200 miles offshore, on the eastern edge of Georges Bank, during a dive to a shipwreck the team called The Big Engine Steamer.
We cannot—and will not—try to sum up Joe’s extraordinary life in a single Facebook post. There will be more complete tributes to come.
For now, we’ll simply say this: Joe Mazraani was larger than life. He was kind, compassionate, and generous. A mentor and a student, a friend, brother, son, and partner. Whether motoring aboard the D/V Tenacious, diving into deep and dangerous water, or defending his clients in court, Joe demanded the best of everyone around him. Sometimes he demanded it grumpily—but he always demanded by example.
I loved Joe fiercely, and he loved me back just the same. We were partners in everything—especially this.
Some will say exploration like this is not worth the risk. If viewed in isolation, perhaps it isn’t. But this wasn’t just a dive. It was our way of life. Joe understood better than anyone that life offers no guarantees. He lived every moment fully, without compromise. He did not want to die doing what he loved—none of us do. He wanted to survive it, to grow old doing it. But when you live at the edge, sometimes the edge pushes back.
This loss is still too raw for us to make any decisions about the future of D/V Tenacious. For now, we’re keeping this page and the website open—because they chronicle not just Joe, but our crew and our adventures over the last decade. And, though we don’t yet know exactly how, this space will be part of how we carry forward Joe’s work and legacy.
The photo below is one of the last taken of Joe. It’s him on the bow of D/V Tenacious, his happiest place. It is important to remember that this is exactly where he wanted to be: 200 miles from shore; the ocean smooth as glass; and people he loved right out there with him.
Remember him this way.
Out of respect for Joe, for those closest to him, and for our own process of grieving, we are turning off comments on this post. We know many of you will want to share your love, memories, and condolences, and, in time, we provide an opportunity. For now, please know that your support has always and continues to mean the world to us.
Jenn Sellitti on behalf of Atlantic Wreck Salvage and D/V Tenacious
