Shipwreck exposed on Outer Banks could be century old

SALVO, N.C. — A shipwreck recently uncovered by storms along North Carolina's coast could have gone down more than a century ago.

North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch shipwreck expert Nathan Henry tells The Virginian-Pilot that the wooden vessel could belong to one of 10 ships that ran afoul of the Outer Banks' treacherous shoals and storms in the early 1900s, but its exact origin is yet unclear.

He also says the remnants could be something the Civilian Conservation Corps placed there for dune building in the 1930s.

Storms regularly expose shipwrecks claimed by the so-called Graveyard of the Atlantic, but this could be the first time these remains have been seen.

Henry says the next nor'easter may reveal more to the ship, offering clues to its size and origin.

Associated Press