A “cursed” “ghost ship” that sank 343 years ago was found in the U.S.

In the United States, treasure hunters have identified the wreckage of the ship Gryphon, which disappeared nearly 350 years ago in the Great Lakes. The ship, built by French explorer René-Robert Cavalier de La Salle to search for routes to Asia, disappeared in 1679 while delivering a cargo of valuable furs across Lake Michigan. The Griffon’s disappearance became one of America’s most famous “maritime” mysteries; to shipwreck hunters it was considered the “Holy Grail” of the Great Lakes.

Two searchers, Stevie and Kathy Libert, succeeded in identifying the previously found wreckage of the ship. They determined that the wreckage found in Lake Michigan in previous years, including the sloping bow mast, belonged specifically to the vanished Griffon.

According to Libertov, there were many theories about the disappearance of the ship. Thus, according to a widespread legend, the Gryphon was cursed by a Mohawk prophet. According to another version, the ship could have been seized by Indians, who murdered the crew and subsequently burned the ship. De La Salle himself believed that the Griffon’s crew had mutinied and stolen valuable cargo, sinking the ship in the process. There were even those who believed that the Gryphon had become a “ghost ship.”

At the same time, the Liberts themselves believe that the most plausible cause of the ship’s demise was a severe storm that lasted many days. Thus, there was no trace of fire on the wreck, which refutes the theory of a hijacking of the ship, while in favor of the version of the storm is the distance of several kilometers between the bowsprit and other found parts.