Nearly a century after vanishing without a trace, the fate of the SS Cotopaxi one of the Bermuda Triangle’s most famous ghost ship legends has finally been uncovered. The cargo ship disappeared in 1925 with 32 crew members en route from Charleston to Havana, sparking decades of wild theories from alien abductions to time warps.

But marine biologist and shipwreck hunter Michael Barnette has now confirmed the Cotopaxi’s wreck 35 miles off the coast of St. Augustine, Florida. His research revealed the ship was already in poor condition when it sailed with missing hatch covers and faulty maintenance and was ultimately lost in a violent storm.

A forgotten distress call from December 1, 1925, uncovered by historian Guy Walters, confirmed the crew’s struggle as the storm overtook them.

Though the discovery dispels the myths, it honors the reality: a tragic maritime loss. “I’ve done countless dives, but this one stood out,” Barnette told Smithsonian Magazine. The SS Cotopaxi’s final resting place now stands as a solemn tribute to the lives lost and a reminder that behind every mystery lies the truth.

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