Named after a stratovolcano in the Andes, the SS Cotopaxi was a cargo ship built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works in 1918. In late November 1925, the Cotopaxi left Charleston, South Carolina, for Havana, Cuba with Captain W. J. Meyer leading a 32-person crew. The cargo? Coal. A few days later, they radioed a distress call as they were traveling in the midst of a tropical storm, which led to the ship collecting water. The last message informed listeners that they were about to sink. Despite this, some sources, including the *World Daily News Report*, have connected its demise to the Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil’s Triangle. In 2015, it reported that the Cuban Coast Guard came across the ship in mid-May, 90 years after it had gone missing. Some argue that this is not likely, and we should remind you that officials, including the US Navy, do not even recognize the Bermuda Triangle as an existing region. Continue reading to learn more about this mystery.Several news and media sites claimed that the SS Cotopaxi was spotted by the Cuban Coast Guard in May 2015. The vessel has been missing since the 1920s.
Created with a steam engine, the Cotopaxi was used for tramp trade. Tramp trade means that the ship does not have a fixed schedule or port-of-calls and travels irregularly. When it departed for Cuba in 1925, it was carrying coal.
On the first of December in 1925, those on the ship radioed a distress call. Some sources say that they were taking on water due to a storm while others report that it was a clear day and cite no apparent reason for it to sink. By December’s end, the ship was officially recorded as overdue.
Some reports will tell you that the vessel was in the Bermuda Triangle when it went missing. According to legend, the Bermuda Triangle, a region enclosed by Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, is responsible for the disappearance for a number of ships and airplanes. In some cases, the vehicles are never recovered.
There are fictional stories that mention the Bermuda Triangle and surrounding areas, including Shakespeare’s The Tempest, further fueling popular imagination. In this play, there’s an incident comparable to the real-life shipwreck of the Sea Venture in the 17th century.
In December 1945, five U.S. Navy Avenger torpedo bombers known as Flight 19 disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean. The cause remains unknown. In response, a rescue plane was sent out but it, too, vanished without explanation. Some say the planes probably ran out of gas.
Released in 1980, the director’s cut of this film reveals a scene in which the Cotopaxi is discovered in the Gobi Desert. However, the model used nowhere near resembled the original vessel.
While conspiracy theorists say meteorites, missiles, or extraterrestrial forces are responsible for the disappearances, others say that gas hydrates are to blame.
World Daily News Report claimed that the Cuban Coast Guard sent out members to try to talk to the crew but received no response.
The sea is a mystery itself. Throw in the Bermuda Triangle and it becomes a famous legend. That’s probably why so many people wanted to believe that the Cotopaxi was rediscovered, but it is simply untrue. The Cuban government has not confirmed these reports nor have any reputable sources covered the story. If you were skeptical of this ‘discovery’ from the start, good for you. If you weren’t sure, beware of ‘news’ from fauxtire sites!
