On the morning of November 6, 1913, a small gale blew up on the shores of Lake Superior. Within 24 hours, it had grown into one of the most devastating storms in the history of the Great Lakes region.
Remembered in later years as the "White Hurricane," the storm of ’13 reached the peak of its fury over Lake Huron as November 9 turned into the 10th. At least nine ships went down that night — among them, the SS Hydrus freighter.
It was never heard from again. Much like this treasure ship that lay on the ocean floor for 300 years, the Hydrus and its 25 crew members were presumed lost to the depths of Lake Huron.
That is, until a few days ago, when exactly 102 years later, a team led by hobbyist David Trotter finally tracked down the wreck of the Hydrus.
Like these shipwrecks in neighboring Lake Michigan spotted from above by aerial photography, the Hydrus owes its discovery to technological advancement; Trotter spotted the wreck last summer on his ship’s sonar.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the image was so detailed that Trotter identified it instantly. Video of that moment shows Trotter shouting, “Holy… mackerel, that’s a big freighter! That could be the Hydrus.”
Trotter, 74, stopped scuba diving a few years ago, but was still on deck for the big moment. Just a few months after the sonar sighting, watch Trotter and his fellow shipwreck hunters make their incredible discovery in the video below.
And if you were blown away by this historic discovery, please SHARE on Facebook for anyone enthralled with the mystery of the SS Hydrus!
