Potential shipwreck spotted along Charlestown coast
CHARLESTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — If you’ve ventured to Charlestown this summer, you may have noticed some debris in the sand.
The debris is part of a supposed shipwreck that washed ashore at the Charlestown Breachway.
Though several beachgoers believe it is a shipwreck of some sort, it’s unclear whether it’s an entirely new discovery or part of one that’s already been found.
A park ranger told 12 News that the debris has been there for a few months.
Seeing debris along our coastline shouldn’t come as a surprise, however, after a series of powerful winter storms brought with them a strong surge and beach erosion.
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Charlestown resident Cris DiSanto said she’s lived in town for years and there are numerous shipwrecks nearby, and believes this is one.
12 News reached out to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) but the state agency couldn’t provide any additional information.
The Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project said it had been monitoring a “bit of ship’s structure” in Charlestown, but that it is just one of many large ship pieces lost along Rhode Island’s shores, especially in Charlestown, which sits up against the Block Island Sound.