SUMMARY
- Century-old submarine found hiding in Long Island Sound
- Experimental vessel featured wheels for ocean floor exploration
- Discovery offers unique connection to maritime history
Dude, you won't believe this, but some Connecticut divers have stumbled upon the remains of a super old, experimental submarine that dates back to 1907. They found it chilling at the bottom of Long Island Sound. This bad boy, named the Defender, was 92 feet long and was discovered by a team led by Richard Simon, a totally cool commercial diver.
Simon was all about the Defender, spending months researching and studying underwater maps, sonar data, and government documents to pinpoint the sub's potential location. He then brought together a rad crew of wreck divers to check out his theory. Although their first attempt got washed out by the tide, they returned and found the Defender hiding in plain sight, just off the coast of Old Saybrook.
The Defender's story is wicked interesting. Originally named the Lake, it was built by millionaire Simon Lake and his Bridgeport-based company, trying to snag a sweet U.S. Navy contract. It was a super unique vessel, with wheels for cruising along the ocean floor and a door to let divers out underwater. But after losing the contract and unsuccessfully trying to repurpose the sub, it was eventually abandoned and scuttled in 1946.
When Simon and his team found the wreckage, they knew they'd struck gold—or, well, a rusty old submarine. They confirmed it was the Defender based on its size, shape, and unique features. Simon and his crew plan to spend their summer exploring the sub, capturing footage and snapping pics of their dope discovery.
The Defender has some protection under the Abandoned Shipwreck Act, so it can be treated as an archaeological or historical site. Simon's already reached out to the Navy to see if they're interested in helping preserve this piece of history. After all, what's cooler than touching the past, right?
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