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From: GAK
Category: Shipwreck Research
Date: 18 Oct 2005
Time: 12:17:34
Remote Name: 166.20.252.34
PRESS RELEASE OCTOBER 18, 2005
LONG LOST STEAMER “GEORGE J WHELAN’ DISCOVERED OFF WESTFIELD N.Y.
The steamer George J Whelan capsized and sank on July 29, 1930 in Lake Erie with the loss of 15 lives. Its exact location has been a mystery, though many unsuccessful searches have been carried out for it. Garry Kozak of Derry NH, a world recognized expert in undersea search operations, teamed with Capt Jim Herbert of Osprey Charters in Barcelona NY, to conduct a search for the Whelan remains. The team analyzed the old newspaper accounts and selected a 32 square mile area that they felt would hold the Whelan wreck. The team assembled at Barcelona Harbor on October 13 and using the latest state of the art Klein System 3000 side scan sonar, the 32 square miles was surveyed in less than 10 hours from Capt Herbert’s research vessel “Southwind”. The Klein Side Scan Sonar is a seafloor imaging sonar and has been responsible for such finds as the Titanic, the Civil War ship Monitor, and air disasters like TWA 800, SwissAir 111, and John F Kennedy’s plane crash off Martha’s Vineyard. The hull of the Whelan was located resting on the lake floor, lying on its port side. During the summer of 2006 Osprey Charters will be operating dive tours to this latest discovery, to explore and possibly discover the reason why the ill fated ship foundered. For more information contact Garry Kozak at 603.434-0732, or 2kozak@comcast.net or Capt. Jim Herbert at 716.326-2773 or osprey@osprey-dive.com .