List of Bermuda Triangle incidents
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This is a list of incidents attributed in popular culture to the Bermuda Triangle.
Aircraft incidents
- 1945: December 5, Flight 19 (5 TBF Avengers) lost with 14 airmen, and later the same day PBM Mariner BuNo 59225 lost with 13 airmen while searching for Flight 19.[1]
- 1948: January 30, Avro Tudor G-AHNP Star Tiger lost with 6 crew and 25 passengers, en route from Santa Maria Airport in the Azores to Kindley Field, Bermuda.[2]
- 1948: December 28, Douglas DC-3 NC16002 lost with 3 crew and 29 passengers, en route from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami.[3]
- 1949: January 17, Avro Tudor G-AGRE Star Ariel lost with 7 crew and 13 passengers, en route from Kindley Field, Bermuda, to Kingston Airport, Jamaica.[4]
Incidents at sea
- 1918: USS Cyclops, collier, left Barbados on March 4, lost with all 309 crew and passengers en route to Baltimore, Maryland.[5]
- 1921: January 31, Carroll A. Deering, five-masted schooner, Captain W. B. Wormell, found aground and abandoned at Diamond Shoals, near Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.[6]
- 1925: 1 December, SS Cotopaxi, having departed Charleston, South Carolina two days earlier bound for Havana, Cuba, radioed a distress call reporting that the ship was sinking. She was officially listed as overdue on 31 December.[7]
- 1941: USS Proteus (AC-9), lost with all 58 persons on board in heavy seas, having departed St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands with a cargo of bauxite on 23 November. The following month, her sister ship USS Nereus (AC-10) was lost with all 61 persons on board, having also departed St. Thomas with a cargo of bauxite, on 10 December. According to research by Rear Admiral George van Deurs, USN, who was familiar with this type of ship from their service in the USN, the acidic coal cargo would seriously erode the longitudinal support beams, making these aging and poorly-constructed colliers extremely vulnerable to breaking up in heavy seas.[8]
- 1963: SS Marine Sulphur Queen, lost with all 39 crewmen, having departed Beaumont, Texas, on 2 February with a cargo of 15,260 tons of sulphur. She was last heard from on 4 February, when she was in rough, nearly-following seas of 16 feet, with northerly winds of 25-46 knots, and listed as missing two days later. The Coast Guard subsequently determined that the ship was unsafe and not seaworthy, and never should have sailed. The final report suggested four causes of the disaster, all due to poor design and maintenance of the ship.[9]
- 1908, January 22 BALTIMORE - A bark that disappeared east of Hampton Roads, Virginia with 9 persons
- 1908, January 27 GEORGE R. VREELAND - A schooner that disappeared east of Hampton Roads, Virginia with 7 persons.
- 1909, September 18 GEORGE TAULANE JR. - A schooner that vanished off the coast of Georgia with 7 persons.
- 1909, November 14 SPRAY A 30 something foot vessel owned and sailed by Joshua Slocum. A world famous sailor and the first man to sail around the world in a small boat. He is the author of the book "Sailing Alone Around the World"
- 1909, December 16 MARTHA S. BEMENT - A schooner disappeared east of Jacksonville, Florida with 7 persons
- 1909, December 18 MAGGIE S. HART - A schooner disappeared east of Jacksonville, Florida with 8 persons
- 1909, December 23 AUBURN - A schooner disappeared east of Jacksonville, Florida with 9 persons
- 1909, December 25 ANNA R. BISHOP - A schooner disappeared east of Jacksonville, Florida with 7 persons
- 1910, March 15 U.S.S. NINA - US Navy Steam Tug Boat. The first steamship on record to vanish in the triangle
- 1910, March 26 CHARLES W. PARKER - A steamship that disappeared east of the southern Jersey coast with 17 persons.
- 1913, December 17 GEORGE A. LAWRY - A schooner, disappeared east of Jacksonville Florida with 6 persons on board.
- 1914, January 29 BENJAMINE F. POOLE - A schooner disappeared east of Wilmington North Carolina.
- 1914, February 27 FITZ J. BABSON - A schooner disappeared east of Jacksonville Florida with 7 persons.
- 1915, April 10 BERTHA L. BASKER - A freighter that disappeared while en route from New York to St. Martin.
- 1915, April 20 MAUDE B. KRUM - A schooner that disappeared east of St. Andrews Florida with 7 persons
- 1916, November 3 BROWN BROTHERS, or BROWN BROS. - A bark that disappeared east of Savannah Georgia with 12 persons on board.
- 1917, March 6 TIMANDRA - A freighter that vanished east of Norfolk Virginia with 19 persons on board.
- 1919, January 4 BAYARD HOPKINS - A schooner that disappeared east of Norfolk Virginia with 6 persons.
- 1920, February 20 AMELIA ZEMAN - A schooner that disappeared east of Norfolk, Virginia with 9 persons.
- 1920, April 18 WILLIAM O'BRIEN - Wooden steamship, new, 3143 tons, going from New York to Rotterdam
- 1920, October 1 ALBYAN - Russian bark sailing from Norfolk, Virginia
- 1920, October 19 GENERAL MORNE - British schooner, Lisbon to Newfoundland
- 1920, November 17 YUTE - 2974 ton, Spanish Steamer
- 1921, January, After the 20th HEWITT - Steel Steamer, between Texas and Boston
- 1921, January 31 CARROLL A. DEERING - Size given as either a 2,114 or 3,500 ton five masted schooner found abandoned and aground on Diamond Shoals.
- 1921, February 2 MONTE SAN MICHELE - Italian steamer, 4,061 tons. Sailing from Portland, Maine to Genoa.
- 1921, February 3 CABEDELLO - Steamer sailing from Norfolk, Virginia
- 1921, February 6 OTTAWA - Steamer, sailing from Norfolk, Virginia to Manchester, England
- 1921, April 4 CANADIAN MAID - British Schooner sailing from Monte Cristo to New York
- 1921, October 27 BAGDAD - Lost off Key West, Florida with eight persons.
- 1922, February 11 SEDGWICK - Schooner, Lost east of Charleston, South Carolina with 6 persons.
- 1925, April RAIFUKU MARU - This is the ship responsible for the famous "DANGER LIKE DAGGER NOW" radio message.
- 1925, December COTOPAXI - Steamer, possibly two vessels with the same name as records indicate another COTOPAXI sighted an unknown 35 foot abandoned craft in 1969
- 1926 PORTA NOCA - An island taxi ferry operating by Cuba
- 1926, March - The week of the 14th - 22nd SUDUFFCO - A freighter shipping from New Jersey to Los Angeles.
- 1928, November VESTRUS
- 1931, June CURTISS ROBIN MONOPLANE - An aircraft that disappears off Palm Beach, Florida with 2 persons.
- 1931, October STAVENGER - Lists the date only as 1931. A freighter lost south of Cat Island with 43 people
- 1932, April JOHN AND MARY - Listed as a schooner found abandoned 50 miles south of Bermuda
- 1935,December WACO BIPLANE - Havana to the Isle of Pines.
- 1938, March ANGLO - Australian freighter, Lost southwest of the Azores with 39 persons.
1940, February 3 GLORIA COLITA - Abandoned 125 foot schooner found 150 miles south of Mobile, Alabama (Gulf of Mexico)
- 1941, March 12 MAHUKONA - Lists the date only as 1941 also states that it was a freighter renamed the SANTA CLARA prior to some wreckage found 600 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida.
- 1941, November PROTEUS, U.S.S. - Sister ship to the CYCLOPS and the NEREUS. Sailing from St. Thomas to Atlantic seaports. Lost with all hands.
- 1941, December NEREUS, U.S.S. - Sister ship to the CYCLOPS and the PROTEUS. Vanished on the same route as the PROTEUS, St. Thomas to Atlantic seaports, Lost with all hands.
- 1942, November PAULUS - Listed as a passenger ship en route from the West Indies to Halifax
- 1943 MARTIN MARINER AIRPLANE - Lost 150 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia with 19 persons.
- 1944, October 22 RUBICON - Cuban cargo freighter found abandoned off the coast Florida. 90 gross tons. All hands missing, ship seaworthy with all personal effects still on board.
- 1944, December NAVY BOMBER AIRPLANES - Five of them which seem to disappear a year before Flight 19.
- 1945, January B-25 AIRPLANE - Lost between Bermuda and the Azores with 19 people.
- 1945, Summer BOMBER AIRPLANE - A small bomber with 2 people on board. Took off from Cecil Field, Florida.
- 1945, July 18 NAVY PRIVATEER AIRPLANE - PB-4YW, 4 engine. Lost between Miami, Florida and the Bahamas
- 1945, December 27 VOYAGER II - A 70 foot schooner.
- 1946, December 5 CITY BELLE - A 120 foot schooner found abandoned.
- 1947, July 3 C-54 AIRPLANE - Took off from Kindley Field, Bermuda en route to Morrison Army Airfield, Palm Beach, Florida.
- 1948, January 30 STAR TIGER AIRPLANE - Airliner sister ship to the STAR ARIEL, both are Tudor IV, 4 engine model.
- 1948, March AL SNYDER - Disappears in The Triangle.
- 1948, March TENDER, BOAT - A 16 foot tender for the EVYLYN K disappears.
- 1948, December 28 DC-3A AIRPLANE - Known as "The Holiday Plane" this twin engine plane disappears within 50 miles south of Miami, Florida.
- 1949, January 17 DRIFTWOOD - 36 foot cabin cruiser.
- 1949, January 17 STAR ARIEL AIRPLANE - Sister ship to the STAR TIGER. A 4 engine Tudor IV that disappears en route from Bermuda to Jamaica.
- 1950, June SANDRA - A 350 foot freighter sailing from Savannah, Georgia to Puerto Cabello, Venezuela with 300 tons of insecticide.
- 1950, July 9 DC-3 AIRPLANE - The plane was being used for missionary work by the New Tribes Mission group.
1951, October 3-4 SAO PAULO - Brazilian Warship, De-commisioned 1953, February 2 BRITISH YORK - Transport plane
- 1954, October 30 NAVY SUPER CONSTELLATION - From Patuxent River Naval Air Station to the Azores
- 1954, December 5 SOUTHERN DISTRICTS - Converted navy LST
- 1955, January HOME SWEET HOME - Schooner
- 1955, September 26 CONNEMARA IV - Motor yacht found abandoned
- 1956, November 9 NAVY PATROL BOMBER, MARTIN MARLIN, P5M - Twin engine patrol flying boat, 350 miles north of Bermuda.no debris recovered, crew of 10.
- 1958, January 1 REVONOC - A 44' yawl disappears in bad weather from Key West to the Caribean with Harvey Conover on board.
- 1962, January 8 PLANE, KB-50J AIR TANKER - Langley,Virginia to the Azores.
- 1963, February 4 MARINE SULFUR QUEEN - A 523' type T2-SE-A1 tanker with a load of molten sulfur.
- 1963, July 2 SNO BOY - 63 foot chartered fishing boat lost with 55 on board, possible wreckage found.
- 1963, August 28 KC-135, 2 AIRPLANES - Two airplanes lost, possible mid-air collision.
- 1963, September 22 C-133 CARGOMASTER AIRPLANE - Lost between Dover, Delaware and the Azores.
- 1964 CRYSTAL - Reported missing in 1964, found in July of 1968, 4 years after being reported missing.
- 1964, January 13 ENCHANTRESS - A 59 foot yacht that disappeared during bad weather and gale warnings approximatley 150 miles S/E of Charleston.
- 1965, June 5 C-119 FLYING BOXCAR AIRPLANE - Lost from Homestead Air Base to Grand Turk.
- 1965, October 28 EL GATO - 45 foot catamaran houseboat.
- 1966, October 29 SOUTHERN CITIES - A 67 foot harbor tug lost in the Gulf of Mexico. The SOUTHERN CITIES had problems on three other occasions causing the NTSB and Coast Guard to blame her lack of "seaworthiness" for her disappearance.
- 1967, January 14 BEECHCRAFT BONANZA AIRPLANE - Piloted by Robert Van Westerbork.
- 1967,December WITCHCRAFT - A 23 foot cabin cruiser that disappeared a mile offshore of Miami near the number 7 buoy about 9pm.
1968, May 21 SCORPION, USN SUBMARINE -Number SSN 589, Skipjack class. This was the sixth Scorpion. It was laid down on August 20th,1958, at Groton, Connecticut at the General Dynamics Corp. Electric Boat Division. The Scorpion launched on the 19th of December, 1959. The ship was sponsored by Mrs. Elizabeth S. Morrison and was commissioned on July 29th, 1960 under Commander Norman B. Bessac.The Scorpion displaced 3,075 tons on the surface and 3,500 tons when submerged. The ships beam was 31' 7" and it's length was 251' 9". The armament consisted of 6 torpedo tubes with a payload of ?? torpedoesAssigned to Submarine Squadron 6, Division 62, Scorpion departed New London, Conn., on 24 August for a two-month deployment in European waters. During that period, she participated in exercises with units of the 6th Fleet and of other NATO [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] navies. After returning to New England in late October, she trained along the eastern seaboard until May 1961, then crossed the Atlantic again for operations which took her into the summer. On 9 August, she returned to New London and, a month later, shifted to Norfolk, Va. With Norfolk her home port for the remainder of her career, Scorpion specialized in the development of nuclear submarine warfare tactics. Varying her role from hunter to hunted, she participated in exercises which ranged along the Atlantic coast and in the Bermuda and Puerto Rican operating areas; then, from June 1963 to May 1964, she interrupted her operations for an overhaul at Charleston, S.C. Resuming duty off the eastern seaboard in late spring, she again interrupted that duty from 4 August to 8 October to make a transatlantic patrol. In the spring of 1965, she conducted a similar patrol in European waters.During the late winter and early spring of 1966, and again in the fall, she was deployed for special operations. Following the completion of those assignments, her commanding officer received the Navy Commendation Medal for outstanding leadership, foresight, and professional skill. Other Scorpion officers and men were cited for meritorious achievement.On 1 February 1967, Scorpion entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for another extended overhaul. In late October, she commenced refresher training and weapons system acceptance tests. Following type training out of Norfolk, she got underway on 15 February 1968 for a Mediterranean deployment. She operated with the 6th Fleet, into May, and then headed west for home. On 21 May, she indicated her position to be about 50 miles south of the Azores. Six days later, she was reported overdue at Norfolk. A search was initiated, but, on 5 June, Scorpion and her crew were declared "presumed lost." Her name was struck from the Navy list on 30 June.The search continued, however; and, at the end of October, the Navy's oceanographic research ship, Mizar (T-AGOR-11) located sections of Scorpion's hull in more than 10,000 feet of water about 400 miles southwest of the Azores. Subsequently, the Court of Inquiry was reconvened and other vessels, including the submersible Trieste were dispatched to the scene and collected a myriad of pictures and other data.Although the cause of her loss is still not ascertainable, the most probable event was the inadvertent activation of the battery of a Mark 37 torpedo during a torpedo inspection. The torpedo, in a fully ready condition and without a propeller guard, then began a live "hot run" within the tube. Released from the tube, the torpedo became fully armed and successfully engaged its nearest target, Scorpion. Alternatively, the torpedo may have exploded in the tube owing to an uncontrollable fire in the torpedo room.The explosion--recorded elsewhere as a very loud acoustic event--broke the boat into two major pieces, with the forward hull section, including the torpedo room and most of the operations compartment, creating one impact trench while the aft section, including the reactor compartment and engine room, created a second impact trench. The sail is detached and lies nearby in a large debris field.Owing to the pressurized-water nuclear reactor in the engine room, deep ocean radiological monitoring operations were conducted in August and September 1986. The site had been previously monitored in 1968 and 1979 and none of the samples obtained showed any evidence of release of radioactivity.
Incidents on land
- 1969: Great Isaac Lighthouse (Bimini, Bahamas) - its two keepers disappeared and were never found.[10]
References
External links