A MYSTERY shipwreck that was left abandoned underwater for over 100 years has been discovered by divers off the UK coast.
Divers believe they’ve found the remains of the Escuriel, which got into difficulty near Portreath, Cornwall, in 1895.
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Not all of the 20 crew could be saved and, more than a century on, the shipwreck remained undocumented, until now.
Rachael Edmans, 36, was doing a solo dive in Cornwall when she came across the artefact by “pure luck”.
The mum-of-three, from Tolvaddon, Camborne, says she couldn’t believe it at first and tried to do some digging to find out the history.
Rachael first discovered the site in August 2024 but has since returned on numerous occasions.
“I asked locals about it, but no one seemed to know where it was,” the avid diver said.
“There is nothing else online about the wreck, other than an old photograph on land.
“I was excited and nervous. But I couldn’t help but think about the lost souls, it was sobering.
“I like to think the wrasse that swims the wreck are [their] spirits.”
But Rachel has now found out that the shipwreck dates back 129 years ago.
Allegedly, the steamer was headed outbound from Cardiff when the weather took a bitter turn, with the threat of snow.
The vessel got into difficulty due to an engine room leak, where the Hayle lifeboat F.H. Harrison was launched to aid its recovery.
Sadly, the rescue mission wasn’t successful and only nine people survived.
Rachael, who dives as a way to relax, has taken snaps and clips of the wreckage, posting them on social media.
In one clip, she shows a glimpse of the ship, with holes, algae and rust encompassing the entire boat.
Other forms of sea life, including coral, surround the area.
She captioned the video: “It’s big enough to go inside, it was a tough dive.
“Current was strong, viz was low.
“Had to keep telling myself to chill and calm down.” [sic]
Another clip shows the bottom of the wreckage, in which many types of fish and other sea life have made their home.
Rachael added: “I take every opportunity to dive it.
“I want to map it out eventually.
“Portreath is a beautiful dive site, it’s full of life and it’s a true hidden gem.”
It comes as a mysterious lost statue was found in the Titanic wreck by robot subs.
In 1986 a bronze statue called the Diana of Versailles was spotted on the sea floor by Robert Ballard – the legend that found the wreck of the Titanic a year prior.
But since then the location was unknown and never documented again – until now.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Experts found the two-foot-tall figure laying face up in the sediment.
The incredible statue stood tall for the Titanic’s first-class passengers in 1912.
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