Strong winds this week led to an Environment Canada alert, revealing a rarely-seen shipwreck along the Lake Erie shoreline. Matt Vermette, the owner of The Dive Shop in Kingsville, Ontario, stumbled upon the wreck during a walk on Wednesday evening. Initially mistaking it for an old dock, he soon realized it was a shipwreck about 150 meters from the shore, measuring around 22 meters in length and identified as a schooner due to its distinctive skeletal structure.
Despite being an experienced scuba diver, Vermette had never encountered this particular wreck before. Lake Erie is known to harbor numerous shipwrecks, with roughly a couple hundred scattered around, though only about 20 to 30 are commonly recognized. Historians speculate that the exposed wreck might be either The Demming or the Overton, both vessels documented in local newspapers predating 1900.
Local historian Robert Lynch emphasized the perilous nature of the water around Kingsville, attributing the high number of shipwrecks in the area to hazardous conditions for boats, especially during periods of elevated waves. Vermette shared photos and videos of the discovery on social media, sparking excitement and curiosity among viewers eager for more details about the wreck.
Residents, like Jennifer Wright, ventured out to locate the wreck after it was exposed but found that the water had covered it again. Vermette noted that visibility in the area is limited due to mud, making it challenging to spot the wreck while diving. Despite the transient nature of its visibility, the uncovering of this shipwreck provided a unique opportunity for exploration and documentation before it disappeared beneath the water’s surface once more.