From the sound of that article mr Cralley did not have permission to remove and restore the remains in the first place, that means ownership never left the us navy.
Flood if it happened in this country the results would be the same with the MoD wanting the remains back and prosicuting the people involved. As far as the MoD is concerned any WW2 wreckage found anywhere in the world, above or below the sea belongs to the crown.
From what iv`e heard the same thing happens a lot with german u-boats that sank in the channel and North Sea.