Lost Treasures (?) Lurking Beneath Oregon Coast Sands

Published 7/17/24 at 4:45 a.m.
By , Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Coos Bay, Oregon) – In a shoreline full of shipwrecks, it's amazing there aren't more of them found around these watery and sandy parts. Some 200 shipwrecks have happened off the south Oregon coast alone. (Photo courtesy Oregon's Adventure Coast - wreck of the Sujameco)

There's a handful, however, that can be found on these sands still – though they're a tad rare. But that's the thrill of the find, right?

Yet a few other oddities lurk beneath these beaches as well. These aren't necessariy treastures, either. Here's three intriguing examples.

Near Depoe Bay: a Secret Hatch?

A caveat: Oregon Coast Beach Connection is not entirely positive this still exists. But it's worth going to look for as a bit of a treasure hunt.

In previous years, this little concrete oddity has appeared on a beach near Depoe Bay when the sand levels get really high and keep the tide out.

Where is it? Essentially the marine gardens area of Devil's Punchbowl on the central Oregon coast. That's the beach access that lets you down next to the Punchbowl. Normally, this beach is quite small – the tide a short distance from the cliffs. However, if sand levels are high, as they are in summer, and the tides are kept well at bay, you may well get access to this part of the beach.

There's tons of rubble there, likely chunks of the Punchbowl's sandstone that have fallen into the sea and washed up. In the midst of that, there's this concrete curiosity which – well, let's face it – looks like a secret passageway. It may even evoke the hatch in the series LOST to some degree, at least for some.

What is it likely? Probably a concrete barrier that got tossed into the sea somehow and made it here. Being pretty heavy and fairly embedded, it's quite possible it's still there. Maybe – just maybe – there's less debris in there and you may get to go partially inside.

Kidding. It's a LOSTie thing. You get it if you're a fan. Hotels in Depoe Bay - Where to eat - Depoe Bay Maps and Virtual Tours

Beneath Rockaway Beach: the Forgotten Shipwreck

Back in 2010, winter was a constant rager and tore out a lot of sands along the shoreline. Then one day in January, something popped up that hadn't been seen much in 50 years: a shipwreck at Rockaway Beach. When A Rockaway Beach Shipwreck Appeared

It wasn't around for long as sands do come back in after such events. The shipwreck had been forgotten, however, as nobody had seen it since the '70s. Locals were surprised to see it, but some remembered it was down there.

This was the Emily G. Reed, which wrecked at Nehalem Bay in 1908, Half of it landed here near the main parking lot – another part is still in a creek nearby.

“It snapped in half,” said Don Best, a longtime Rockaway Beach resident, historian and photographer. “Pieces were scattered all over. There’s still a piece in Nedonna Creek."

Some 100 feet of ribcage were visible when it was uncovered. Since then, it's been pretty shy, only appearing every few years when sand levels really get scoured. Hotels in Rockaway Beach - Where to eat - Rockaway Beach Maps and Virtual Tours

Shipwreck Underneath Sands Near Coos Bay

Photo of Sujameco near Coos Bay, Kara J. Long

On the south Oregon coast, the bad luck of some maritimers is the good luck of those hunting cool stuff. The northern beaches of Coos Bay – namely Horsfall – have a few ancient skeletons lurking below. Every once in awhile, some of them show.

One of the more dramatic – and regular ones – is the Sujameco, sort of the south coast's version of the wreck of the Peter Iredale. It's gone for much of the year, but it's the only other one on these beaches that makes almost yearly appearances. Sometimes most of its length is visible, which is amazeballs.

It hit this shore on March 1, 1929 and slowly became more and more grounded over the next few days. No one died here and it some ways it wasn't very dramatic. What was odd, however, was that the crew was kept inside the stranded ship for a month before being allowed to return home. See the full story Slow But Epic Oregon Coast Drama, Coos Bay's Sujameco Wreck Still Visible

Olson wreck in 2008, courtesy Seaside Aquarium / Tiffany Boothe

Also in the sands there is the George Olson which wrecked in '44, and the Helen E., which wrecked in '51. Both were also forgotten when they reappeared in the late 2000s and it took awhile for them to be identified. Oregon Coast Hotels in this area - South Coast Hotels - Oregon Coast Vacation Rentals - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours

 

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