2024 Pioneer Award

Richie Kohler is an author and shipwreck explorer whose 40 years of diving experience have taken him to all corners of the globe, exploits detailed in documentary films and a New York Times best-selling book, Shadow Divers, by Robert Kurson.

Kohler hosted fifty-six episodes of the popular History Channel program Deep Sea Detectives and numerous other television programs detailing his explorations on some of the most famous shipwrecks in the world, including the Andrea Doria, RMS Titanic, and the HMHS Britannic, employing submersibles and cutting-edge diving equipment.

Richie’s focus in underwater exploration has been on the human aspect of shipwreck tragedies, correcting fractured or missing history and, in doing so, providing answers and closure to family members by locating and identifying lost warships such as the USS Murphy, USS Lagarto, U-215, and U-869. Reaching out to these people has been the real reward of shipwreck exploration.

Recent work on a forgotten World War II submarine battle has led to a posthumous recognition of an American Naval Captain at an award ceremony at the US Pentagon. A fellow in the Explorers Club, Kohler continues to lead expeditions worldwide in search of lost ships and the mysteries they hold.

He has written numerous magazine articles about shipwrecks, deep diving, and diver safety. He published his first book in 2017, Mystery of the Last Olympian, detailing a decade of work on Titanic’s sister ship, Britannic. Over the years, he has made numerous presentations at schools, libraries, diving conventions, and symposiums promoting diving safety, education, and awareness.