The Bermuda Triangle.
A broad swath of sea and land starting near the tip of Florida and covering countless
islands.
It holds great beauty - and great terror.
Countless strange incidents and mysterious disappearances have been recorded in these
waters.
Here are ten of the most bizarre.
#10.
The SS Cotopaxi
It was 1918 when the mighty ship launched.
It was a bulk carrier, built as part of the World War I emergency shipbuilding program.
Its history was troubled, with it suffering serious damage when it collided with a tugboat
near Brazil.
But it was a strong ship and was repaired and continued sailing - even amid some concerns
about its sea-worthiness.
It would sail for seven years - until one fateful trip from Charleston to Havana in
1925.
It carried coal and a cargo of thirty-two men - and then suddenly sent out a distress
signal, warning that it was taking on water amid a storm.
It was new year’s eve when it was awaited in port - but it never arrived.
The ship was first marked as overdue, and then as missing.
No trace of the ship was found for decades, and many attributed it to the harsh weather
conditions.
But others spoke of the history of missing ships in the area.
It would be six decades later when a mysterious wreck would be found off St. Augustine, Florida.
It was badly damaged, and no one knew which ship it was, and it was given the simple name
the Bear Wreck.
But one scientist worked doggedly for years, and in 2020, the last remnants of the SS Cotopaxi
were identified.
It had been found - but as for what sunk it, those secrets were lost in its watery grave.
But sometimes the survivors of the Bermuda Triangle are left wondering how close they
came.
#9.
Turkish Airlines TK183
It was a powerful, modern airbus in the year 2017, sailing over the Atlantic from Turkey
to its destination - Havana Cuba.
For the hundreds of people on board, it had been a routine flight as they approached the
Caribbean.
But it wasn’t going to stay that way.
As soon as the plane approached the mysterious triangle, things started to go wrong.
The airline reported problems with their left-hand engine, and after some attempts to fix the
problem, they made the decision to divert the plane to Washington DC, where it landed
safely.
The end of the story?
Not quite.
While the official airline report is that it was a mechanical problem that was later
resolved, passengers reported much odder events.
As soon as they entered the Bermuda Triangle, they started experiencing electrical problems.
Their in-flight TV screens started flickering and then shut down.
The emergency lighting on the floor lit up - as if they were about to crash.
Many people wonder just how close they became to being the latest victims of the Bermuda
Triangle - and whether the airline was covering up the truth.
Sometimes the Bermuda Triangle combines with natural disasters - and the results are deadly.
#8.
SS El Faro
The SS El Faro had a long history as a cargo ship, sailing for forty years between 1975
and 2015 under three names.
But when it set sail from Jacksonville to Puerto Rico with thirty-three aboard, it was
testing fate - because Hurricane Joaquin was bearing down on the region.
It was only a tropical storm when the ship set off, and the captain had charted a course
away from the hurricane.
The company reviewed it and deemed it safe, but many of the crew believed they were heading
off into their doom.
They were right.
The ship was old, often called a rust bucket, and when the hurricane started to track southwest,
the ship wound up directly in its path.
While the original path was safer, the captain decided to head for a faster route - directly
into the storm.
The Coast Guard received a message that the ship was in trouble and taking on water - and
then, aside from a single ping from its radar, it was never heard from again.
A search was conducted, and debris was found indicating the ship’s final resting place.
What caused a veteran captain to take such reckless measures that led to the ship’s
end?
In the Bermuda Triangle, no one is sure.
Not all disasters in the Bermuda Triangle are large-scale.
Some minor ones are just as mysterious.
#7.
The Missing Boys
Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos were best friends, and the fourteen-year-olds loved
one thing more than any other - fishing.
They lived in Florida, and would frequently sail out to sea in search of bigger catch.
They borrowed a boat belonging to Stephanos’ mother, which they were familiar with, and
it was up to date on safety.
On July 23, 2015, they decided to sail to the Bahamas - a big adventure - and texted
their parents before leaving shortly before noon - just as thunderstorms were coming into
the area.
The boys would leave a mysterious social media trail behind them.
No one knows what happened to them after they set sail.
High winds and rains hit the area, and most believe the boys were simply lost in the storm
- another two casualties of the Bermuda Triangle.
But some clues may be found in an unlikely source - Snapchat.
The posts on the social media site don’t last long, but their friends report ominous
posts from them that day - including a chilling video of the storm heading towards them.
A massive search was marshalled, but only the boat was found - with no sign of the boys.
The families argued over who was responsible, leading to legal action, but any answers were
lost in the Bermuda Triangle.
But not all the Bermuda Triangle’s secrets are found in the water…
#6.
The Lighthouse Keepers
Ever since 1859, there has been one beacon of safety for those traveling through the
dangerous waters of the Bermuda Triangle.
Accessible only by boat, the Great Isaac Lighthouse is an isolated landmark in the triangle, and
is guarded by loyal keepers who keep watch and shine a light to help ships find their
way safely.
At least they did - for a hundred and ten years.
On August 4th, 1969, those arriving at the lighthouse found something disturbing - the
lighthouse was deserted, with no sign of their keepers.
Where did they go?
Some believed they simply abandoned their post, heading off to the mainland.
But no one ever heard from them again.
Others believed that they were victims of Hurricane Anna, a powerful storm that came
close to the island.
Perhaps they were outside at the time and were swept out to sea.
But others believed something more sinister, that whatever force kept claiming ships and
planes in the Bermuda Triangle had claimed them too.
No answers were ever found, and today the lighthouse stands abandoned - attracting tourists
to its derelict grounds.
For those believing in supernatural threats, this next incident’s name should have been
a clue.
#5.
Witchcraft
Dan Burack was a wealthy man, a hotel owner and a fan of yachts.
He liked few things more than being on the open sea, and he invited his friend Father
Patrick Horgan to join him for a simple cruise on his yacht - named The Witchcraft.
They only went a mile off the Miami coastline, excited to see the Christmas lights lighting
up the city.
But the short pleasure cruise would soon turn out to be anything but - when the coast guard
received a distress call.
Burack needed the boat to be towed back to shore.
But it was far more than a simple mechanical issue.
Burack claimed to have hit something that jammed his propeller, but he didn’t consider
it an emergency.
He said he had flares and would use them to alert the Coast Guard - but none were seen
as they approached.
The Coast Guard searched that night - but no trace of the Witchcraft or its passengers
was ever found.
There had been no big storm that night, only a small thunderstorm, and few people believed
there was enough time for the ship to sink.
Sabotage?
Foul play?
Or just another unsolved mystery of the Bermuda Triangle.
The Bermuda Triangle has been the site of some of the biggest mysteries in maritime
history.
#4.
Carroll A. Deering.
It was 1920, and a five-mast commercial schooner named the Carroll A. Deering set off on what
was supposed to be a routine voyage.
It sailed from Puerto Rico to Newport News, Virginia, to pick up a cargo of coal.
The captain was a decorated World War I veteran, but he fell ill and was replaced for the trip
back to Brazil.
It delivered its cargo without incident, and set sail for Barbados for supplies.
There was trouble on board, with conflict between the men and the first mate having
a taste for drink.
But it was bound back for Virginia.
Or so everyone thought.
It was January 28th, 1921 when the ship was sighted again.
A lighthouse keeper off North Carolina hailed it, and received word that the ship had lost
its anchors in a storm.
The ship seemed to be behaving erratically, and was next seen three days later - near
the shoals off Cape Hatteras, a notorious site for shipwrecks.
It was wrecked, and it had been completely abandoned.
An investigation revealed no clear answers, but there was suspicion of mutiny, piracy,
or storms destroying the ship.
The mystery only deepened when a disturbing message was found in a bottle.
DEERING CAPTURED BY OIL BURNING BOAT SOMETHING LIKE CHASER.
TAKING OFF EVERYTHING HANDCUFFING CREW.
CREW HIDING ALL OVER SHIP NO CHANCE TO MAKE ESCAPE.
FINDER PLEASE NOTIFY HEADQUARTERS DEERING.
While most people believe this points to piracy, others believe something darker may be at
play.
And in the Bermuda Triangle, sometimes mysteries strike twice.
#3.
Star Tiger and Star Ariel
British South American Airways was a popular airline in the 1940s, and its planes were
staffed by former WWII pilots.
The crown jewels of their fleet were the larger versions of the Avro Tudor.
But on January 28th, 1948, disaster would strike.
The Star Tiger boarded at Lisbon, and after some mechanical issues took to air.
Poor weather forced them to make an overnight stop-over at the Azores and they took off
the next morning with twenty-five passengers.
But the next day the weather was no better, with strong winds and rain - and at some point,
contact was lost.
The plane disappeared without a trace and no answers were ever found.
And less than a year later, it happened again.
It was January 17th, 1949 when the Star Tiger’s sister plane, Star Ariel, was pressed into
service to replace a damaged plane.
With thirteen passengers and seven crew, it flew to Kingston, Jamaica - but it never arrived.
Weather was excellent, and no messages were received from the plane of distress.
A search was conducted, but it had joined the Star Tiger in oblivion.
This was one of the incidents that kicked the fear of the Bermuda Triangle into overdrive
- because what could make a well-functioning plane in good weather disappear without a
trace?
But none of these were the worst disasters in Bermuda Triangle history.
#2.
The USS Cyclops
It was 1918, and coal largely kept the world running.
A lot was needed, and the United States had ships that could haul it - the Proteus-class
colliers.
These massive Naval ships were often named after Green mythology, and the Cyclops would
go down in history - for the wrong reasons.
It sailed for seven years before its trip from Rio de Janeiro to Salvador.
As it set sail again directly for Baltimore, Maryland, it hauled a full cargo of manganese
ore - so much that many were worried about its safety.
They were right to be.
The Cyclops was rumored to be seen on March 9th, but never arrived in Baltimore.
The massive ship disappeared without a trace, and as it was wartime, suspicion fell on the
Germans - notorious for sinking ships.
An investigation found no link to the war, and uncovered that its Captain, George Worley,
had a history of abusive behavior and possible pro-German sympathies.
Many suspected that a strong storm had sent the overloaded ship to a watery grave.
But the ship was never found, taking its 330 crew members to the unknown in the worst non-combat
disaster in US Naval history.
But the biggest mystery in Bermuda Triangle history wasn’t a ship on the surface.
#1.
USS Scorpion
In the cold war, top-tier submersibles were a part of spycraft, and few were more powerful
than the US military’s nuclear submarines.
The USS Scorpion packed powerful missiles, and engaged in missions around the world.
In 1967, it went in for an overhaul - but only received emergency repairs to get it
back on the sea.
In 1967 and 1968 it suffered several mechanical issues, but always survived.
That is, until May 1968, when it kicked off one of the biggest mysteries in US military
history.
How do you lose a nuclear submarine?
The ship was on a mission in the Atlantic spying on Soviet ships, but it struggled to
reach its base station as it headed back to Norfolk.
After six days, the sub never reached its destination.
Raising suspicion, a search crew had been marshalled three days before the sub was due
back at port.
What did the government know about the Scorpion’s disappearance?
It took five months before the Navy discovered sections of Scorpion’s hull near the Azores
islands, but the sub was so damaged that there was no concrete way to figure out what caused
it to fail and sink.
Some think it might have been a weapons failure or a hydrogen explosion from the battery.
Others blame a Soviet attack that the government covered up to keep the Cold War from turning
hot.
And others just see it as another in a long range of terrible incidents in the Bermuda
Triangle.
For more on this triangle of danger, check out “50 Insane Facts About Bermuda Triangle”,
or watch “Weirdest Unsolved Mysteries” for more of Earth’s greatest secrets.