Quang Nam: suspected ancient shipwreck vanishes in sea

Quang Nam (VNA) – An attention-grabbing object, suspected to be an ancient shipwreck, has vanished from the waters off Hoi An city in the central coastal province of Quang Nam, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Lanh has confirmed.

The official on January 2 revealed that the wreckage, which had surfaced above the water for several days, was buried back beneath the sea due to a substantial amount of sand combined with waves and high tides.

The object was first spotted on December 26 near the coast of the city’s Cam An ward. Local senior fishermen believed that it was a long-lost vessel. The impact of tidal surges and ocean waves caused a portion of the boat to protrude above the water surface.

Before its disappearance, observations indicated multiple dark brown wooden beams protruding between 10 – 30cm above the sea surface, resembling the shape of a boat with a pointed end. The boat’s width and length were estimated to be approximately 3m and 15m, respectively. Speculation among the local community, especially elderly fishermen, suggested that this wreckage might have been an ancient merchant ship carrying handicrafts, which succumbed to the waves during its maritime journey.

While awaiting authorised agencies to carry out actions to recover the shipwreck, Hoi An authorities had cordoned off the area and safeguarded it around the clock to prevent unauthorised salvage operations. The city wanted to ascertain the age of the object using carbon isotope samples, but persistent high waves and tides kept officials from completing the work./.