Bermuda Triangle Shipwreck Discovered by a Diver
(Photo : Stocksnap)

The SS Cotopaxi, a ship that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle is thought to be discovered approximately 95 years after it vanished by a diver.

On November 29, 1925, the ship was reported to have disappeared while on its way to its destination. It carried 32 passengers. After its disappearance, no bodies of the passengers were recovered. Its shipwreck was also not found.

The Discovery of a Steam-powered Shipwreck

When Michael Barnette went for a dive during the summer of 2019, he believed that he found the shipwreck of the SS Cotopaxi in the seas of St. Augustine, Florida.

Barnette dives in the sea to primarily determine shipwrecks of local ownership. He was not specifically looking for the SS Cotopaxi shipwreck. 

The place where the suspected shipwreck of the SS Cotopaxi is called the Bear Wreck.

According to a statement given by Barnette to ABC News, he was confident that it was the SS Cotopaxi's shipwreck. His claim was strongly supported by his observation that it was the largest steamship wreckage he had found in the location.

He asked assistance from a historian and other research bodies to support his claim.

Guy Walters, the British Historian who had swept through archives of ship documentation to help Barnette find the identity of the suspected Bermuda triangle wreckage he found in the summer of 2019.

Walters found that the SS Cotopaxi had issued distress signals through a wireless mechanism on December 1, 1925 (two days after leaving Charleston). The signals were caught in Jacksonville, Florida where a shipwreck was discovered approximately 35 years ago. 

Barnette swam around the suspected Bermuda triangle shipwreck. He failed to find any clues that may show that it is the SS Cotopaxi's wreckage.

Barnette had also partnered with the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum to look for clues involving the shipwreck he found. 

St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is a not-for-profit group that focuses on the study and preservation of the maritime past and history of the region. Two of the top maritime scientist archaeologists from the group accompanied Barnette to look for additional clues.

The additional research that Barnette conducted with experts had led him to strongly believe that the suspected Bermuda triangle shipwreck that he found was that of the SS Cotopaxi.

He described his discovery as "incredibly exciting."

He shared that he had already conducted multiple shipwreck diving expeditions in the past. His discovery of the SS Cotopaxi's shipwreck was the one that stands out from the rest of his finds. 

His discovery and dives will be described in detail on 'Shipwreck Secrets', a series aired on the Science Channel. Its episode will air on February 9.

Before and After the SS Cotopaxi Disappearance

The SS Cotopaxi was a steam-powered vessel that was named after the Ecuadorian volcano named Cotopaxi. It was scheduled to travel from Charleston, South Carolina to Havana, Cuba. It was fully loaded with coal as it made way to its destination.

Two days while on the sea, it was reported that the ship had encountered a terrible storm while 35 miles near the coastal area of St. Augustine, Florida before it disappeared out of thin air.