I worked with Sub Sea Research during the 2009 season. I lived and worked on the M/V Sea Hunter alongside Greg Brooks and the other crew members.

I am very disappointed to see the articles that have been coming out as of late (“Former crew member claims Gorham treasure hunter staged retrieval of fake gold bar,” April 27).

I can understand the frustration investors must be having, but as someone who worked on the crew, I can tell you how hard a job it actually is to excavate a wreck site, particularly one at such a depth as the Port Nicholson.

The weather and sea conditions of the North Atlantic are unpredictable and rough. It’s unfair to assume that the employees of the company could recover the cargo in such a short amount of time.

Anyone who spent any amount of time on the ship would know this, and would see the hard work that Mr. Brooks and the crew put into the project. Greg has invested his whole life into this project, and to throw accusations of fraud onto him is to not see the truth.

Anyone who knows Greg or read the Press Herald columns by Bill Nemitz will remember the humanitarian efforts he made during the Haitian earthquake and Hurricane Katrina.

He’s always spoken about helping the people of Maine and Haiti with any money he receives from the Port Nicholson. There are many who can attest to this. I hope that in the future, both sides of the story will be considered.

Shawn Ruarke

Portland