When Hayley Gilmartin and her husband Trevor set out to remove an old, broken jacuzzi in their Michigan home located on the shores of Lake Huron, they stumbled upon an astonishing discovery—a hidden 100-year-old tunnel leading to a mysterious underground room. The couple, living in a house that separates the US from Canada, were in for a surprise that would lead them on a historical adventure beneath their own home.
As they dug around the site of the former jacuzzi, the unexpected find presented itself as a 20-foot-deep tunnel, unveiling a route to an enigmatic room below their property. In the eerie silence of their discovery, Hayley shared with Newsweek that the tunnel is connected to the lake through a six-foot pipe, making it a flooded passage hard to fully explore.
But the Gilmartins didn’t let the daunting atmosphere deter them. “We scuba-dived in the river and found the other end of it, which is a huge tunnel,” Hayley revealed. Unfortunately, despite attempts to pump out the water, the chamber remains submerged due to continuous feeding from Lake Huron and connected rivers.
Curious and courageous, the couple took to social media to document their journey into the depths of their home’s history, gaining viral attention. “It was a creepy discovery,” Hayley admitted. After ensuring the water was safe, Trevor geared up with scuba and snorkel equipment to explore further, only to confirm the extensive size of the tunnel network.
Having purchased the house in 2020, Hayley and Trevor have since engaged with their neighbors and delved into the property’s past, learning about other local homes with similar hidden structures. According to locals and some extra digging by the couple, the most thrilling theory about their mysterious tunnel dates back to the prohibition era. “The wildest theory we’ve heard is that it was used in the prohibition days to smuggle alcohol over from Canada since it’s so close. Although we do find many prohibition era bottles in our area,” Hayley shared.
This discovery not only brought the Gilmartins unexpected fame on social media but also a deeper connection to the history hidden beneath their home. From a simple home improvement project to a dive into the depths of the Prohibition era, the journey of uncovering the past continues to unfold for this Michigan couple, sharing each step with the world online.