It was that act of kindness that spelled doom for the Saginaw. Ninety-eight men were stranded on the island. Five boarded a small rescue boat to get help, but just one of the five survived. He relayed word of the wreck, and soon after, all the other men were rescued.

Over the past 137 years, the remains of the Saginaw have been pushed into the atoll. The dive, says Van Tilburg, is intense. “There are these huge rifled cannons from the Civil War and all these deck fittings for this steamer, which was built in 1858. We’re on the exact same spot [that] 98 guys abandoned ship onto that coral reef … and stood there shivering until the sun came up. That’s the location where we’re diving. There’s a sense of connection to a historic event. It’s very strong.”
 
Fackler, Rooney, and Van Tilburg all plan to spend more time exploring the islands. “They’re such a blank slate; it’s crazy,” says Rooney.