An object has been discovered in Northern Ireland via sonar that suggests the unsuspecting coast could have been the location of a very dramatic turn of events for the crew of an unknown submersible craft. The object, which is off limits to explorers at the moment until experts can determine how dangerous it is, has been identified in the river Foyle.
How much is hiding underneath the waves? That’s what experts have been asking ever since 2010 when another object was first identified with sonar as an unexplained hulk resting beneath the waves of the Thames in London near the London Bridge. Fearing the object could be a sunken submarine from World War II, they have advised no divers to dip beneath the waves to explore what it might be. But as crews attempt to distinguish just what this latest object might be, others are expressing an understandable level of curiosity.
The object was one of the unexpected unknowns turned up thanks to an initiative to examine the bottom of the historical River Foyle running through west Ulster. Environment Minister Alex Attwood was quoted by the BBC saying the situation was unusual as there was no record for the object or just how it ended up there.
If current theories of the object hold water, a real mystery is unfolding that could tell a long lost story of the second world war. And while the object is far too small to be a German U Boat, some have suggested a smaller variation on the German submarine – stating it could be one of the lesser known smaller spy subs employed in the latter half of the war. As such, warnings against exploring the possible wreckage have been sounded with authorities suggesting the object may -rather than treasure- be filled with ammunition and dangerous explosives from a previous chapter in history.
Unidentified submerged objects have been in the media for decades, with at least one making headlines in Sweden in September of 2011 in the form of a spherical object very much like a white buoy filmed running alongside a fishing boat – and outrunning it.
And for decades witnesses have reported seeing unidentified flying objects suddenly submerging and disappearing beneath the water only to re-emerge later
It’s always interesting when we consider the possibilities that exist beneath the waves in the coastal waters that surround the continents. The vast unexplored depths of the ocean are (to many) just as unexplained and mysterious as the space between planets. The ocean is, by some estimates, less thoroughly explored than most other places in our Solar System. But it seems even our rivers, with their currents washing in objects from further upstream could host just as much mystery in some spots.
So what mystery could be hidden in the shallow waters just beneath these two historical rivers? What piece of ourselves will we learn about when eventually diving crews do manage to explore this enigma in the water? We will certainly be channeling more information as it becomes available on this current event. And in keeping up to date on the most recent discoveries in the Thames, perhaps insight will be drawn into the long history of this river and the many bridges that were constructed upon it.