And a very successful one at that.
Not much is known of his childhood or what inspired him to create a diving machine.
John Lethbridge was the first person to design a working diving suit, which he called a diving machine.
It had a round window to look outside and two holes to stick the arms out.
Oiled leather cuffs around the upper arms formed an almost water proof seal.
The diving machine had no air supply other than the air trapped inside before the chamber was closed.
Lethbridge found he could easily dive to 18 meters and up to 22 meters with some difficulty.
Of the 254 on board, only 33 survived.
In the flooded hold 60 feet below were three tons of silver ingots and three massive chest of coins.
Lethbridge was hired at 10 pound sterling a month, plus his expenses and bonuses.
Throughout that summer he made several trips to the wreck and recovered nearly half of the lost treasure.
Over thenext thirty yearsLethbridge dived on a number of wrecks and made a great deal of money.
