Four Colonial-Era Shipwrecks Found at North Carolina Site, Including Possible 1748 Spanish Ship

At Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site, researchers from East Carolina University spotted four sunken vessels. One wreck might be La Fortuna, a Spanish ship from 1748.

"We are extremely excited about these important sites, as each one will help us to better understand the role of BTFA as one of the state's earliest colonial port towns," said Dr. Jason Raupp, according to ECU News.

Tests showed wood from one wreck contained Monterey or Mexican cypress (materials Spanish ships often used in Caribbean builds). This matches written accounts of La Fortuna, which exploded near the docks during a 1748 raid.

Student diver Cory van Hees stumbled upon the first wreck by chance. "While lost, in the search for the Northern extent of the wharf, I came across several wooden frames barely sticking out of the clay mud with planking just barely visible on the surface," van Hees said to ECU News.

The site yielded three more vessels. One was likely used for land reclamation, another served as a local transport boat, while the fourth remains a mystery. This adds to past finds at the site. Back in 1985, a local diver named Dennison Breece found an old cannon near today's wreck spot.

Scientists pulled 40 wooden pieces from what could be La Fortuna. These timbers still show marks from their makers. ECU's West Research Campus now stores all finds at the Queen Anne's Revenge lab.

Laws block anyone from damaging or stealing from these underwater spots. ECU works with state permits for their research, with support from North Carolina's Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.