Durrell Martin has provided The Scuba News Canada with an update on our story “Piracy on the Eureka Shipwreck”
Durrell Martin, Matt Charlesworth, and Kayla Martin (Durell’s daughter) discovered the portal missing while diving the Eureka on August 20, 2022. They dove from Pat Coyne’s boat, which has been guarding this wreck for nearly a decade before it was released to the public. Durrell went over the wreckage to see if anything else had been taken. He thought the seaman’s chest (foot locker) had been removed from the wreck as well. When he went over his video again a few days later, he discovered the chest was still in the Eureka. Because it is in disrepair, the chest would be difficult to find, and most divers have no idea what it is. Because it would contain extremely valuable artefacts, Durrell does not want to publicize a picture in order to protect the chest. After the dive he told Guillaume Courcy, President of P.O.W. in Kingston to make this theft known to the public.
Kayla Martin’s Post on Facebook
“As many know, The Eureka in Kingston is considered a pristine wreck and a favourite dive site of many.
This weekend I was first to discover that the port side brass portal has been stolen.
Words are not able to describe how shocked, horrified and angry I was when I discovered the empty hole.
This is extremely sad as this portal would have easily lasted another 100 years and be enjoyed by multiple generations of divers.
Now it is sitting on someone’s mantle, where it will begin to quickly rot and degrade.
Divers have a responsibility to protect these time capsules of history so that everyone can enjoy them instead of a select few to see a hidden artifact in a box.
If you want a trophy from your dive, take a picture and post it on social media. It is wrong to steal from wrecks.“
Kayla Martin
So the treasure chest remains in the Eureka as it should!
Story Submitted by Durrell Martin.
Follow Durrell and Kayla’s dive adventures on Facebook.
