NJ Shipwreck Explorer Dies on Dive Off Massachusetts Coast

A New Jersey man celebrated for his work in exploring and salvaging shipwrecks has died in a scuba diving incident off the Massachusetts coast.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced Friday that Joseph Mazraani, 48, of Millstone Township, New Jersey had died at sea following an incident that occurred on July 29.

On that date, Mazraani was part of a group of scuba divers aboard the 45-foot vessel D/V Tenacious. The D.A.’s Office said they were approximately 150 miles east of Cape Cod, scuba diving and exploring shipwrecks in the area of George’s Bank.

Who Was Joseph Mazraani?

Mazraani was a well-known diver who famously explored shipwreck sites. According to the website for Atlantic Wreck Salvage and the D/V Tenacious, the vessel and company were operated by Mazraani and his partner, Jennifer Sellitti; the two also work as criminal defense attorneys in New Jersey.

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A Life of Shipwreck Discovery

“D/V Tenacious is the vessel from which AWS' crew locates, dives, and salvages shipwrecks,” according to the Atlantic Wreck Salvage website. “D/V Tenacious and her crew have discovered numerous shipwrecks in the waters off the coast of New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, the most celebrated of which is U-550, the last German U-boat known to rest in diveable North Atlantic waters.”

What Happened During the Fatal Dive?

Quinn said that after Mazraani suffered a possible medical emergency during the dive, other members of the group pulled him from the water and attempted lifesaving measures, but could not revive him.

The Facebook page for the D/V Tenacious posted a remembrance of Mazraani, written by Sellitti, stated “all indications point to a medical emergency” and that “we currently have no reason to suspect diver error or equipment failure.”

Quinn said the Coast Guard and New Bedford Police were notified, and the vessel arrived at Fleet Marina in New Bedford at about 6 a.m. on July 30.

Ongoing Investigation Into Mazraani’s Death

Quinn said investigators spoke with the other members of the group and that foul play is not suspected. Mazraani’s death remains under investigation by Massachusetts State Police assigned to the D.A.’s Office, the Coast Guard and New Bedford Police.

Tribute From Partner Jennifer Sellitti

In her Facebook post, Sellitti wrote that she “cannot – and will not – try to sum up Joe’s extraordinary life in a single Facebook post,” but did offer some thoughts.

“Joe Mazraani was larger than life. He was kind, compassionate, and generous. A mentor and a student, a friend, brother, son, and partner,” she wrote. “Whether motoring aboard 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.”

She also addressed those who say such dives are “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,” she wrote. “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.”