Hidden shipwreck uncovered by Lake Erie's 'extremely low' water levels

21 January 2024 , 08:00

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Freezing weather conditions covered a pier in ice by Lake Eire in Cleveland, Ohio back in 2014 (Image: Corbis via Getty Images)

Very low water levels in one of the US's Great Lakes revealed what appeared to a shipwreck last weekend.

Anyone close by to Lake Erie in Ohio may have been able to see a sunken boat complete with two cannons at the bottom of the lake. The apparent vessel would have been otherwise hidden were it not for for a winter storm that passed through the region.

The inclement weather conditions brought with it freezing temperatures followed by strong winds that all combined to significantly reduce the water level on one side of the lake last Saturday. The Toledo, Ohio, side of the lake was 12 feet lower than the Buffalo side in New York.

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The phenomenon is known as a seiche, a 'standing wave' that occurs when strong winds and rapid changes in atmospheric pressure push water from one end of a body of water to the other. When the wind stops, the water rebounds to the other side of the enclosed area and, according to the National Ocean Service, Lake Eire is well known for these types of waves.

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Last Sunday, Toledo news outlet WTOL's chief meteorologist Chris Vickers posted photos of the chance discovery on X, formerly Twitter. He wrote: "SHIPWRECK uncovered! This is absolutely stunning a #shipwreck with what appears to be two cannons uncovered on the bottom of #LakeErie. The extremely low water this weekend near #Toledo has revealed hundreds of years of history!"

A pier at Edgewater Park is closed due to ice (Corbis via Getty Images)

However, the weatherman's excitement was dampened by some who had other ideas about the sighting. National Museum of the Great Lakes director of archaeology and research Carrie Sowden told WTOL she wasn't wholly convinced that it was a ship or cannons, reported Newsweek.

She said: "From the photos I looked at last night, and there were just a couple, I saw a lot of straight lines [on the structure], which to me says more pier/dockage than ship. But that doesn't mean it isn't a ship, it just means that's my first impression."

The water had returned back to its usual levels by Monday, though, meaning Carrie was unable to see the site in person. Whatever the truth on this occasion, it is thought by researchers that up to as many as 2,000 ships are sunken beneath the lake's choppy waters - yet just a few hundred have been found so far.

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Steven White