A man encountered a disturbing find after his GoPro camera fell into the ocean, prompting suggestions from onlookers that he should report it to the authorities immediately.
The ocean is widely recognized for its intriguing yet terrifying mysteries, which can make the idea of even a small dip quite unsettling. The low visibility, in particular, adds a spooky and claustrophobic quality to the ocean, which many find highly disturbing.
However, in this instance, it wasn’t the existential dread of the ocean that had people urging a YouTuber to call emergency services after his GoPro fell into the water. Instead, it was something that potentially posed a more immediate safety threat.
That is, if it was indeed what it appeared to be.
YouTuber Dusty Sands was on a jetty at Port Noarlunga in Australia, lowering his GoPro on a line into the water. The visibility was very poor, with only a few fish seen swimming in and out of the murk. But as the camera descended, it captured a glimpse of something with a distinctive appearance.
The YouTuber wrote: “Dropping my GoPro off the side of a jetty in Port Noarlunga. We looked back at the footage and kinda got freaked out when we saw it. We tried dropping the GoPro in at the same spot a few more times but never showed up again.”
The object appeared to be a sphere with studs protruding from it and a chain attached at the bottom, looking unsettlingly like a naval mine.
One viewer commented: “Strongly suggest reporting it to the coast guard btw, that is a live naval mine that could take out that entire dock if triggered from a hit.”
Another person expressed skepticism, writing: “We haven’t seen much in the way of naval warfare in South Australia. I don’t know if sea mines were ever used here. My guess is it may be a joke or hoax. If it is real, it definitely hasn’t been there, unnoticed, bumping against a jetty pile for decades.”
A third remarked: “Bro out here making the sea seem 3x scarier than it already is. I sure hope that isn’t an actual live mine, or if it is, that coast guards take care of it.”
While it’s uncertain whether this is a live mine, there are known caches of underwater explosives. One particularly concerning example is the SS Richard Montgomery, a World War Two vessel that ran aground while carrying a cargo of explosives.
Most of the cargo was salvaged, but about 1,400 tons of explosives remain in the wreck, which is located in the Thames Estuary. The UK government believes the risk of a ‘major’ explosion is remote, but the site is still monitored continuously, and an exclusion zone is maintained around the wreck.