Lt. Commander Bob "Frogfoot" Weller

Bob Weller always used to sign his books and say, "Follow Your Dreams" which when he had me take over the business from him, in honor of him, I kept the phrase but used the Latin version of: Insisto Vestri Somnium. I, Bradley Williamson, had the honor and pleasure of meeting Bob and becoming part of this sunken treasure recovery team back in 1988. I spent many years learning from Bob as both my mentor and "father figure" for over 20 years. One day he asked me to "take over the reigns" and start running my own treasure recovery operation right before he passed away. He viewed my as his son and became in many ways a father to me. The above photo shows Bob with what was called, "The Queen's Jewels" which Bob and his team recovered from one of the Spanish treasure galleons of the 1715 Treasure Fleet.

Bob Weller served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean Conflict, earning the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for bravery, and was one of the first combat diver team members, nicknamed "Frogman," which eventually led to the nickname "Frogfoot." He later earned degrees in architectural and civil engineering. After he retired, he started a cabinet business, but eventually focused on treasure hunting, which led him to discover more than $1 million in treasures over the years and also led to his book career, of which he wrote eight. He became well-known throughout the treasure-hunting world and encouraged the younger generation to ignite a passion for the business.

Mr. Weller and his wife, Margaret, of Lake Worth, started Crossed Anchors Salvage, they chose the name after the crossed anchors on one of the Spanish treasure galleons from which they recovered a large amount of treasure. It was this same Spanish treasure galleon, the Nuestra de La Nieves, from which I found my first silver piece of eight and my first gold doubloon.  Their, treasure hunting business has discovered countless finds, including a 4-foot iron cannon that sank in 1760, which sits in his front yard, and a gold and diamond set Weller called "the queen jewels," which was displayed at Mel Fisher's Treasure Museum in Sebastian until it was sold into a private collection. That collection came from a 1715 wreck site and included a brooch with 177 jewels and solid gold pineapple-shaped earrings with 57 diamonds in each one.

Bob's last dive was in 2003. And though his health kept him from diving into Florida's waters, he still ran the business and shared his amazing stories, inspiring the many who still miss him today.