PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Carol Caruso likes to walk on Ponte Vedra Beach, but she hadn't been out in a few weeks. When she walked along the shore Tuesday, she saw something big.
With her hands held out wide, she said, "This is what I found at low tide!"
It appears to be the skeleton of a ship, right where the waves hit the beach.
"I've been looking at it for two years," Caruso explained but she's never seen so much of it coming out of the sand.
"Generally it's just that point, literally that point sticking up and that's it. So I thought this had to be something special," she beamed.
The ribs of the ship appear to be jutting out from the beach above the waves.
Caruso estimates the shipwreck is about 75 feet long.
Archaeologists with the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (or L.A.M.P.) in St. Augustine have been out to the site before, studying it. However, after seeing pictures of the ship Wednesday, archaeologist Brenden Burke said he and the L.A.M.P. team have never seen so much of the ship exposed.
Burke explained that parts of the ship have been revealed three times in the last six years.
Caruso remembers only seeing portions of the ship "at low tide and only during the fall and winter. During the summer, it was totally covered."
When the shipwreck is covered by sand and waves, the job is a bit more tricky for marine archaeologists. Burke believes it's a steel frame vessel, but they don't know what ship it is.
Caruso gazed at the ship, "It is a mystery! I'd love to know how long it's been here."
After seeing photos from Caruso and from First Coast News, Burke said a crew from L.A.M.P. will be out to study the relic soon. Maybe they'll uncover a clue to help solve the mystery of the ship that is no longer completely covered by the sand.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Shipwreck exposed on Ponte Vedra Beach.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Carol Caruso likes to walk on Ponte Vedra Beach, but she hadn't been out in a few weeks. When she walked along the shore Tuesday, she saw something big.
With her hands held out wide, she said, "This is what I found at low tide!"
It appears to be the skeleton of a ship, right where the waves hit the beach.
"I've been looking at it for two years," Caruso explained but she's never seen so much of it coming out of the sand.
"Generally it's just that point, literally that point sticking up and that's it. So I thought this had to be something special," she beamed.
The ribs of the ship appear to be jutting out from the beach above the waves.
Caruso estimates the shipwreck is about 75 feet long.
Archaeologists with the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (or L.A.M.P.) in St. Augustine have been out to the site before, studying it. However, after seeing pictures of the ship Wednesday, archaeologist Brenden Burke said he and the L.A.M.P. team have never seen so much of the ship exposed.
Burke explained that parts of the ship have been revealed three times in the last six years.
Caruso remembers only seeing portions of the ship "at low tide and only during the fall and winter. During the summer, it was totally covered."
When the shipwreck is covered by sand and waves, the job is a bit more tricky for marine archaeologists. Burke believes it's a steel frame vessel, but they don't know what ship it is.
Caruso gazed at the ship, "It is a mystery! I'd love to know how long it's been here."
After seeing photos from Caruso and from First Coast News, Burke said a crew from L.A.M.P. will be out to study the relic soon. Maybe they'll uncover a clue to help solve the mystery of the ship that is no longer completely covered by the sand.
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