Shipwreck Remains May Have Been Vandalized

Were the remains of the shipwreck that became exposed on the south shore in late September vandalized?

The Egan Maritime report announced on Sunday that it had "received reports that the shipwreck may have been vandalized."

Island resident Nicole Ridge took the photo above showing a portion of the exposed timbers that appear to have been cut.

"We would like to remind the public that this is an archeological site with historical significance," Egan Maritime stated. "Under Massachusetts state law, it is illegal to remove, displace, damage, or destroy underwater archaeological resources. Do not walk over the wreck, dig at the site, or remove any materials."

David Robinson, the director and chief archeologist for the Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archeological Resources (BUAR), is set to visit the site this month. Robinson believes the remains are consistent with other shipwreck fragments discovered in the same location in 2022 that were determined to be from the 19th-century schooner Warren Sawyer, which wrecked on Nantucket in 1884. But a final confirmation will have to wait until Robinson inspects the remains in-person.

Here's how the shipwreck looked on September 26 when it first became exposed due to erosion from the nor'easter that struck the island: