Nearly everyone has heard of the Bermuda Triangle. It’s a world phenomenon that has baffled scientists for years. While some mysteries still remain, one particular missing vessel, the SS Cotopaxi, has been recovered.
A Ship Lost in the Bermuda Triangle
The Cotopaxi vanished in 1925 and many speculated it may have fallen victim to the Bermuda Triangle. However, it’s seemingly located around St. Augustine, Florida about 20-30 miles off the coast. Michael Barnette, a Biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, did his first dive of the wreck 15 years before confirming his findings.
Confirming the Wreckage
However, in 2020, he was able to confirm the wreckage he encountered was the long lost Cotopaxi. “I knew my heart that it was the Cotopaxi, but trying to prove it is something different,” he explained to CNN. “We didn’t know 100% because we didn’t have that smoking gun, we didn’t have a bell with a name on it, or anything like that.”
A Partnership to Study the Bermuda Triangle Mystery
Between dives, Barnette partnered with a historian, Chuck Meide, to find out everything he could about the vessel. He gained access to things like court records and insurance documents, spending years researching the find. “When I saw the research he did, I was pretty impressed,” Meide said. “He had done a lot of archival research, and he had the plans of the Cotopaxi and he had the court records of the relatives of the crew that perished in the incident, who sued the owner of the company.”
Taking Measurements
They dove the site for a second time, measuring parts that have withstood the ocean’s tough conditions, however it took them over 10 dives to ensure all their information and measurements were correct. “Those things matched up with the blueprints we had of the ship,” Meide explained. “So, the size of the boilers match exactly, the position of the boilers. The layout of the ship.”
A Powerful Symbol
Meanwhile, Barnette felt “excited when you actually do that, but then you sometimes go through emotional roller coaster whereupon that realization of what this vessel is, you also learn what it signifies: in this case, the grave of 32 men.”
The revelation that the Cotopaxi has been located offers some peace of mind for people like Gregory West of Charleston, whose great-uncle was on the ship when it disappeared. “It really does help bring closure,” he said. “Now we know exactly where the ship went down, where his remains lie, the cause of the sinking. It was not due to sea monsters or whirlpools or aliens or any such thing in the Bermuda Triangle.”
The Cotopaxi
The Cotopaxi was a cargo ship carrying coal, and 32 people, when it disappeared in 1925 after setting sail on November 29th. It sailed from Charleston, South Carolina, to Havana, Cuba. Sadly, it never made it to the final destination and its whereabouts have been a mystery since. Many speculated it had been lost to the Bermuda Triangle, a theory bestowed upon numerous boats and planes that have mysteriously vanished.
Traveling Through the Bermuda Triangle
One main reason for the speculation was because of the route the Cotopaxi was scheduled to take. Fortunately, the wreckage has been identified and the mystery laid to rest.
Dangers of the Bermuda Triangle
So, is the Bermuda Triangle as mysterious as we’ve been led to believe?
In short, no. According to Britannica the reason for the Bermuda Triangle’s infamous reputation likely has more to do with superstition and intense weather patterns that were unexplainable before modern technology. As such, Barnette shared the cause of the Coropaxi’s disappearance had more to do with poor vessel maintenance and severe weather patterns. “And that’s exactly what happened. They got off the Florida coast and encountered a tropical storm that swept up the coast,” he said. “The ship went from bad to catastrophic probably very quickly.”
Defining Detail
Barnette stumbled upon a final piece to prove his theory, that the wreckage he discovered is the missing Cotopaxi from 1925, the one believed to be lost in the Bermuda Triangle. The ship had sent a radio distress call from the same area shortly before vanishing, into what many would claim as a phenomenon that has baffled the world for generations.
Bermuda Triangle Sand Patterns
Something else that experts believe has played a role in the disappearance of several vessels is the sandbar patterns. Purportedly, sandbar patterns change with every severe storm and hurricane that passes. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that ships would become stuck, only to be consumed by thrashing waters or winds. “The inlet to get into St. Augustine was very shallow, and it moves around a lot. So, it resulted in a lot of a lot of shipwrecks,” Meide said. “It’s not too mysterious that you have a lot of shipwrecks in an area like Bermuda or the Florida Keys or the Caribbean. We have a lot of shipping, but you also have a lot of hazards, like coral reefs and hurricanes and that kind of thing.”
Fortunately, experts have cleared up many misconceptions allowing people to take more of an interest in enjoying the sparkling waters and stunning beaches that Bermuda has to offer.