U.S. company granted salvage rights to ship believed to contain millions in B.C. gold
A Seattle-based company has been granted salvage rights to a ship containing piles of gold that sank near the B.C. coast in the 19th century.
The SS Pacific collided with another vessel shortly after it departed for a trip from Victoria to San Francisco in November of 1875 and was never seen again. Roughly 275 people, many of them gold miners, are believed to have died in the wreck.
Several unsuccessful attempts to locate and recover the boat have been made over the years, but Jeff Hummel, the president of Rockfish Incorporated, believes his team has done it.
"This is a childhood dream realized in adulthood, finding this particular vessel,” Hummel told CTV News.
Hummel says he began his pursuit of the boat in the '90s. In 2017, he formed a team in Seattle to track it down.
He says they embarked on 12 expeditions using a sonar and a towed camera sled.
Rockfish based its search off old records that showed the vessel went down southwest of Cape Flattery, as well as information from fishermen who found coal in their nets.
Hummel said the team obtained a piece of the coal and had it tested in a lab in Alberta. The results ended up matching the chemical analysis of coal from a mine owned by the owners of the SS Pacific.
“From that we were able to determine, it was from the wreck,” Hummel said.
Hummel says it was ultimately the sonar imaging equipment that zeroed in on the boat.
"We saw something that looked like the paddle wheels, and so once we identified those and we took some measurements on some of the other equipment I said, 'OK, this absolutely is the Pacific,” Hummel said.
Inside the boat is believed to be at least $5 million worth of gold, as well as many other valuable artifacts.
Last month, Rockfish was granted salvage rights to the ship in the United States District Court in Seattle.
However, anyone who can prove a family connection to an owner of the gold or any other item can come forward to attempt to claim it.
“It’s kind of like a process of probate,” said Hummel.
He says the team also wants to recover things like the steam machinery and paddles, which they believe are still intact.
"The state of preservation, I think, is going to be just really renowned with regards to this wreck,” he said.
Hummel, who’s also the director the not-for-profit Northwest Shipwreck Alliance, says he’d like to build a museum and hotel.
"We're just looking forward to telling about the ship and particularly about the lives of the people that were on board,” he said. “It was very important to Puget Sound, Canada and Victoria.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Israel orders new evacuations in Gaza's last refuge of Rafah as it expands military offensive
Israel ordered new evacuations in Gaza's southern city of Rafah on Saturday, forcing tens of thousands more people to leave as it prepared to expand its military operation deeper into what is considered Gaza’s last refuge.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with Maple Leafs, dead at 79
Ron Ellis, who played over 1,000 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and was a member of Canada's team at the 1972 Summit Series, has died at age 79.