Florida angler uncovers possible 19th-century shipwreck in Aripeka mud flats

A Hernando County man fishing with his grandson discovered what may be a historic shipwreck exposed in mud flats at low tide in Aripeka, Florida, prompting an archaeological review.

Thomas Peterson, who told Fox 13 Tampa Bay he has fished the area for a decade, said he noticed long, parallel timbers and sections of wooden beams and planking while walking an estuarine shelf roughly 50 miles north of Tampa. He and relatives recovered a purplish fragment of glass from the site, which Peterson suggested might be a remnant of a liquor bottle.

Peterson said he believes the wreck could date back as much as 150 years and may be associated with rum-running or other smuggling activity, though he acknowledged the origin is uncertain. Local archaeologists have been notified and are examining the exposed timbers and artifacts to determine the wreck's age, construction and historical context. After assessment, the site will be handled under state oversight.

Florida law (Statute 267.14) designates archaeological sites and objects as protected for public benefit and limits excavation to qualified archaeologists, anthropologists and historians. Hernando County officials and state cultural resource managers typically follow established protocols that include surface documentation, careful artifact retrieval if warranted, and laboratory analysis to establish chronology and function.

Archaeological teams frequently use a combination of artifact typology, wood analysis and, where possible, dendrochronology or radiocarbon dating to narrow a wreck's age. Glass color and manufacturing techniques can also provide chronological clues; purplish glass, for example, can indicate certain late 19th- or early 20th-century production methods, though context and comparative analysis are required for firm conclusions.

Shipwrecks and submerged cultural resources are regularly reported along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Recent regional discoveries include multiple 18th-century wrecks found in North Carolina's Cape Fear region and a centuries-old hull uncovered beneath a former fish market in Spain, highlighting how coastal development, erosion and tidal cycles can reveal previously buried remains.

Officials have not yet released a formal determination on the wreck's date or provenance. The next steps are likely to include a site survey, photographic documentation, mapping of the exposed elements and limited artifact recovery if archaeologists deem it necessary to stabilize or protect the site. Any further excavation or removal will be performed under professional supervision in accordance with state law.

Peterson described the discovery as "pretty cool," noting the spot is where his grandson caught his first big redfish. The discovery has drawn local interest as authorities and professional archaeologists work to assess whether the remains represent a previously unrecorded historic vessel and to determine the appropriate conservation measures.