The Ghost Ship of Diamond Shoals

On January 31st, 1921, a Coast Guard surfman sighted a vessel trapped on North Carolina’s infamous Diamond Shoals. Owing to bad weather, a Coast Guard boat was not able to reach the stranded vessel until February 4. When they boarded the ship, the crew was missing. How the “Ghost Ship of Diamond Shoals” came to be stranded, and what happened to her crew, is an enduring mystery.
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This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by THG
#history #thehistoryguy #ghostship

[@ericstromberg9608]

"Bolshevik Pirates" is an AWESOME band name.

[@johncashwell1024]

As a native North Carolinian, I grew up hearing about the Graveyard of the Atlantic as well as learning the mysterious tales surrounding happenings on the various barrier islands. From Blackbeard, the devil's footprints, ghost ships, enemy landings during the wars and exploring long forgotten sites accessible only by small boat; Eastern N.C. was just a great place to grow up in the 70s and 80s.

[@scottkelsey1574]

5am Long Island Ice Tea and History Guy. Only way to deal with work and the Mother in Law. Thanks History Guy!

[@olly2027]

You go girl.

[@justme_gb]

I hope you work a "graveyard" shift!

[@JamesThomas-gg6il]

I thought we were gonna make it through a good story without pirates, but you got it in there. Love it

[@f3xpmartian]

Awe, come on now. This is the History Guy. As the Sun rises each morning, so too will the History Guy mention his beloved pirates.

[@quillmaurer6563]

It took him 12 minutes 3 seconds to get there, but we know there cannot be a History Guy video about ships without pirates - it will always get there.

[@cleverusername9369]

Any good story is automatically made a hard _minimum_ of 15% better with the inclusion of pirates.

[@ldcraig2006]

He only put it in there because historically, the people at that time assumed that pirates were involved.

[@kevinvilmont6061]

😂

[@iwaswrongabouteveryhthing]

When something bad happened to that crew in the dark l bet they never thought we would be remembering them simultaneously around the world 100 years later

[@erichammond9308]

Served in the Coast Guard on the Outer Banks, beached ships are not uncommon to this day. At Diamond shoals it's not uncommon to go from moderate seas to huge breakers with no warning. I've seen it go from 6-8 foot waves to 20+ feet and breaking surf in the span of 5 minutes

[@jackblack9208]

I can tell you towing a 750 foot long raft of dredge pipe around diamond shoals is very stressful. I give it a pucker factor of 7 to 7.5.

[@erichammond9308]

@@jackblack9208 sounds fun - NOT! 🤣 Probably about as much fun as towing a 75' trawler with a 44' MLB in 20' seas! (Actually, going back through Hatteras inlet, with said trawler in tow, with it breaking 12 - 14' on the bar was worse)

[@awesomeferret]

My grandfather was Captain John Backland who ran a trade company on a wooden schooner called the CS Holmes out of Seattle in the early 1900s. As someone myself who regularly uses technology that most people have moved on from, it fascinates me to think about the thought process that would make someone want to regularly sail a wooden schooner up into the arctic in the early 1900s.

[@PPISAFETY]

What an interesting video. I used to go to the Outer Banks regularly and became quite interested in the U.S. Lifesaving Service which had become the Coast Guard about 5 years before this event. The Surfmen who went out to these ships stuck on the Diamond Shoals were incredibly brave. Many were black Americans. Their motto was "The rules say you have to go, they don't say you have to come back!"

[@robN64]

If you get the opportunity, pick up a copy of “Fire on the Beach” which tells the story of one of the Lifesaving Stations staffed predominantly/exclusively by Black Americans. Surfmen, as they were called were indeed incredibly brave men who literally risked their lives to save shipwreck victims.

[@PPISAFETY]

@@robN64 I'll do that. Thanks for the tip!

[@misternewoutlook5437]

It's always a pleasure when THG does the historical sea tragedies and especially the mysteries. Flying Dutchman stuff always draws an audience.

[@cleverusername9369]

NC native here, thank you THG for giving some attention to the long and fascinating maritime history of our beautiful and treacherous coast. Dear viewer, if you get a chance to visit the NC Outer Banks, please take it. Among the more beautiful, peaceful, and tranquil beaches you'll ever find.

[@suzanneflowers2230]

This will likely seem dumb to viewers but I'm glad they saved the parrot. I've had pet birds and they are great. I also love the story of the pigeon who carried the message in WWI that saved a lot of soldiers.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Items recovered from the ship were auctioned, but I found no reference to what happened to the parrot.

[@Guangrui]

@@TheHistoryGuyChannel A cat ate it before it could open its mouth and spell the secret 😃😃

[@cynthiajohnson9412]

The parrot knew what happened, but he wouldn't talk.

[@O-sa-car]

he ain't no bilge rat

[@ldg2655]

I wondered, too, if the parrot was ok..

[@scotttyson607]

Relics from this wreck are on display at the Hatteras museum.

[@-jeff-]

I'd like to think the crew of the Deering were picked up by the crew of the Mary Celeste.

[@marccorbett4844]

The mystery of the Dearing should be no mystery. I am the mate on a dive boat in Hatteras North Carolina. We dive shipwrecks on the Diamond Shoals. We don’t get to go there very often, the reason is that the gulf stream current comes closest to shore at Hatteras. This means that a northerly running current 3 to 4 knots is present on the Diamond Shoals many days if the year. You cannot swim against this current, it will sweep you away. The next stop in this “river“ of clear blue fast-moving water is the coast of England. If the crew of the Dearing tried to leave the ship in a lifeboat, it is highly likely that the gulf stream current would have swamped that lifeboat. Once the lifeboat sank, the crew would be at the mercy of the gulf stream, The crew would’ve been swept north immediately, within an hour they would’ve been probably three or four nautical miles away. If the Coast Guard did not arrive for over 24 hours that means the crew of the Dearing could have drifted as far as 100 miles to the north. Very few theories about what happened to the crew of the Carol Dearing even consider the gulf stream current as a factor, but anyone who has ever navigated a vessel on the Diamond Shoals knows that the ocean is moving north as fast as a river in that location.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

I agree that them abandoning ship and being washed out to sea is the most likely explanation. That is the explanation that Captain Merritt favored. If so, it is doubly tragic as the ship stayed well afloat until rescue would have arrived. One of the two ship's boats was a motor launch, which would seem to have given them some chance. And how the ship, with such an experienced captain, wound up on the shoals is another question.

[@jimlofts5433]

interesting but explain why the sails were still set ?

[@75OldsNinetyEight]

Side note, the Cape Hatteras lighthouse was moved back several hundred feet farther back from the shoreline due to erosion in the ‘90s. Good thing to check out on aerial map views.

[@whiterabbit-wo7hw]

Dang! I'm still going with the pirates!!

[@cherokee43v6]

Growing up in NC, the stories of 'The Bankers' as the residents of the Outer Banks were known; their history, as some were descendants of survivors of some of those infamous shipwrecks; and their heroism in the days of the U.S. Lifesaving Service and (after the merger with the Revenue Cutter Service) the early days of the U.S. Coast Guard were some of the great tales and stories of my childhood. I remember first reading about the Carrol A Deering in the book 'Graveyard of the Atlantic'. I highly recommend it.

[@cherokee43v6]

PS If you're taking suggestions on related material. Check out the story of the Dunbar family and their service in the U.S. Lifesaving Service and the U.S. Coast Guard in the book I mentioned above. In particular the member of the family who as a Coast Guard Surfman single-handedly lead the rescue of (I think it was) five ships in one night during a storm on the Outer Banks.

[@deborahbarry8250]

I am new to your KZbin channel and I truly enjoyed your content. History is fascinating to me. I am simply a history buff no wear near being a scholar in the subject. That's why I am so pleased to have found your channel. There so much in history that has been forgotten. You bring it to life, Thank you. I will be watching.

[@jonathanperry8331]

You should go click on the video button and go back through the catalog. There are tons of videos that talk about an entire range of different subjects.

[@suzanneflowers2230]

One of my favorite stories is the lady who owned a dairy and sang to her cows. They were the healthiest, happiest, and most productive cows in the US.

[@f3xpmartian]

Caution, Be ye warned. The History Guy Channel will lead you to binge watching many of his past episodes. All of which are good for learning and entertainment.

[@jonathanperry8331]

@@suzanneflowers2230 I learned in music school that cows are very sensitive with music they go into kind of a trance state depending on what type of music you're playing.

[@pontiacfan76]

Check out the band Sabaton all there music is based on history. They even have their own history channel that explains the story behind the songs.

[@gcrauwels941]

Great story. Anytime I see wreckage that's been uncovered out in the Banks, I think of it's story and how it got there. So very many, some remain unidentified.

[@eghhhht]

The history guy, is a great storyteller. I enjoy the stories as much as the history within them.

[@natebatson]

Capt. William Merritt (Uncle Will in the family) always talked about the crew being Shanghai'd by the Russians . My Dad still remembers Uncle Will well and likes to tell Uncle Will's stories from the sea. What amazing, and at times heart breaking, stores Uncle Will had.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

Newspapers at the time wrote that he discounted the pirate story. It is amusing that that is the one he told in later years. I was unable to find an obituary for him, but he certainly kept sailing, and purchased his own schooner in 1925.

[@christianfreedom-seeker934]

He was likely just telling a story for the kids sake. We know now that the Communist revolutionaries only seized Tsarist ships, not American ones.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Hey Playboy 👋 I was at the Elton John Farewell concert last night here in Las Vegas. I will share Friday

[@flkoolguy]

I lived close to the outer banks while in the Marine Corps. I was stationed at MCAS Cherry Point NC.

[@patriciajrs46]

I can't believe the bodies never washed ashore. Scary.

[@Cosigner22]

What a great story

[@RetiredSailor60]

Sailed off the coast of North Carolina many times on USS Whidbey Island LSD 41 and USS Wasp LHD 1. Pulled in Morehead City to pick up and drop off US Marines before and after a deployment.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks again to THG🎀..... Shoe🇺🇸

[@amadeusamwater]

Pirates usually want the ship more than the crew.

[@jonathanperry8331]

This is the first time I've ever heard of a submarine sinking a ship driven by sail.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

It happened a lot in the great war.

[@sandrasmith7091]

The ghost ship stories have always intrigued me. You'd think by now something would be found. 😊

[@papafox80]

The encounter with the lightship included a man on the ship saying anchors had been lost. When the wreck was examined were the anchors there? Any evidence of damage to anchor chains or equipment? Surely the CG would have looked at that when such a ship is fiund?

[@cherokee43v6]

We're talking about 1921, we're less than 10 years after the first real 'major accident investigation' (The Titanic). At this point, the majority of the 'investigations' were done on the part of the shipping companies or their insurers. The Coast Guard's remit then was the saving of lives and the collection of taxes.

[@JoshuaTootell]

USCG barely even existed yet.

[@patriciajrs46]

Thank THG. Your tales of history are almost as good as Paul Harvey. I like history told well.

[@angelachouinard4581]

I'd heard of this ship but not the pirate angle. You must have been thrilled to uncover that! You tell a great sea story regardless but that made it official!

[@quillmaurer6563]

As much as he loves pirates, I have to imagine he was elated to find that snippet.

[@GRock5k]

Bath Maine. A drinking city with a ship building problem.

[@heidimarchant5438]

This was an awesome video! I don't think I've ever heard about this one, there's always something to learn.

[@AngiesCousin]

I bet they never even asked the parrot about what happened.

[@jimlofts5433]

nah he wouldn't talk - he was no stool pigeon

[@erichammond9308]

Recommend a segment on the HMT Bedfordshire!

[@orbyfan]

"Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?" "To the curious incident of the parrot found on board the ghost ship." "The parrot said nothing when it was found." "That was the curious incident."

[@maxfortin832]

Very interesting, indeed!! My wife and I very much enjoy your videos, seems we learn something interesting from each one!! I have to say, however, that this story caught my attention particularly, as I reside in Gardiner, Maine, but I work for Bath Iron Works building destroyers for the US Navy. (Arleigh Burke Class, as well as DDG 1000 Series) I bring this up because Bath Iron Works is about 1500 yards from where the Carroll A Deering was built! The G G Deering shipyard, over the years, was bought out by Percy and Small, and years later, the site became the Maine Maritime Museum, who is offering to wave admission during the month of November... Keep up the good work, sir!! I find you to be a great story teller, and enjoy you very much.

[@Annur375]

Super interesting, thank you.

[@michaelwillis6520]

My great grandfather was a whaler on the banks a small settlement called diamond city it was nearly destroyed in 1899 san cirico hurricane my grandmother was born there and left there when she was a little girl im proud to be part of the willis bloodline the greatest watermen in my opinion.

[@kevinvilmont6061]

Very cool. To bad we hunted whales to the extent we did but if it was a choice between feeding my family and the Whale. Well. Let’s just say I would be on the boat.

[@jeanmeslier9491]

There was another ghost ship, Mary something I think. Half eaten meals were on the table, the Captain had his family with him. None of the crew was ever heard from again.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

The Mary Celeste. There are actually many ghost ships in history.

[@johnstevenson9956]

I'm just glad they found the parrot.

[@DavidHBurkart]

Arrgh... All good stories indeed. This one is no exception!

[@retirementpirate3665]

Bolshevik buccaneers. I love it.

[@laserbeam002]

A truly facinating post. Thank you.

[@shawnr771]

Thank you for the lesson.

[@yamato0965]

A wonderful model of this ship is at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, NC.

[@bradfordbarrettluckotheIrish]

You do have a great delivery History Guy

[@loganjohnson3589]

I have heard this story many times in my life .And still it fascinates me to here it again .

[@digginz8603]

Shout out from Portland!

[@whiteclifffl]

Is Portland a liberal cesspool now?

[@digginz8603]

​@@whiteclifffl You can't even imagine. There are even illegal immigrants clogging up the shelters.

[@whiteclifffl]

@@digginz8603 Unbelievable. My father was born in Camden. I’m glad he isn’t here to witness what has happened to his home state.

[@russwoodward8251]

Pretty weird story. Thanks again for the research and presentation!

[@davidmurphy8190]

Thanks!

[@jeanthony4003]

Thank you, I enjoyed that story.

[@mattgeorge90]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@pakde8002]

I'm from North Carolina and have been to bath and the Outer Banks countless times but I've never heard this story. Always enjoy hearing a story from the Tarheel State, which also holds the earliest mysterious disappearance recorded in the New World.

[@cherokee43v6]

Pick up a copy of 'Graveyard of the Atlantic'. Sooo many great stories there.

[@cynthiajohnson9412]

I think it's really important to explore these histories as a means of understanding human nature. Our system of law is based on Roman law which is founded on reason or the belief that everyone, with some notable exceptions - young children, the senile, and the insane, everyone is fundamentally reasonable. So when something happens involving people there's always some form of logic behind people's behavior (unless they fall into one of those three categories) , we just don't know the circumstances and motivations. I think in the modern times we've lost faith in the fundamental soundness of other people's mental processes - and that is very bad for civilization. We have to be able to understand why people do what people do and trust they have their reasons or everything breaks down. So thanks History Guy, for helping us understand the past and the people who occupied it. Too bad this story didn't have any answers.

[@jb6027]

Excellent episode!

[@MarshOakDojoTimPruitt]

thanks

[@saabreplay7553]

Excellent

[@sandrablanchette2239]

Congratulations! You pronounced Bangor correctly. Being from Maine, it is often frustrating to hear people pronounce it wrong in audio books and on TV.

[@BackyardSpaceProgram]

First! And thanks for an interesting and historical story.

[@driftless1870]

Fascinating tale. Thank you for telling it.

[@noelmcgarry456]

Very interesting thank you

[@stevenkimber4735]

Always Wonderful

[@larryjohnson7591]

Now that is scary. Never herd of sailors who disappear and not want to be found. Very interesting History.

[@justme_gb]

Except for pirates. Punishment was excruciating for hundreds of years prior. Maybe the Derring crew engaged in piracy?

[@jliller]

Some people disappear, not wanting to be found. Some people wanting to be found nevertheless disappear, especially in the ocean.

[@pamelamays4186]

When I first saw the title of this episode, my first thought was "pirates!"

[@quillmaurer6563]

12:03 Took him a good while, but there can be no History Guy video on maritime topics without Pirates! The "Soviet Buccaneers" idea is intriguing - was that actually a thing that happened, or was that just part of the "red scare" phobia?

[@jliller]

Minor Correction: while the Life Saving Service had merged with the Revenue Cutter Service in 1915 to form the US Coast Guard, the Coast Guard was not responsible for aids to navigation until 1939. In 1921, the Cape Lookout Shoals and Diamond Shoals lightships was still under a civilian Lighthouse Service. Related Trivia: The reason Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is nearly 200 feet tall and the tallest lighthouse in the United States was so that its light could be seen by ships attempting to steer around Diamond Shoals.

[@BasicDrumming]

Great video.

[@northeden8661]

I'm not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens.

[@jasonz7788]

Great work Sir thank you

[@garycarpenter2980]

I live here in NC and I've never been to the east coast but then I discovered the story of the ship 🚢 in the 80s and maybe one day I'll try to get there

[@adventhorizonviii]

now i wonder was the boat insured

[@Guangrui]

the insurance company says abduction by some sort of mysterious force was not included in the policy

[@tomvoncharon6359]

Aliens 👽

[@mikefingbond3888]

I really enjoy the way you tell a story, Lance.

[@ernestweaver9720]

Love that history. Thank you for the read.

[@chriskoelling9933]

Love your videos. I was wondering if you could make a video about the USS Indianapolis? Thanks

[@johnnyreno7200]

How bizarre 🤔

[@jjohnston326]

I liked the moral of this story.

[@austinblack7991]

Hey history guy! Can you do a video on the waratah?

[@alexanderfenning8648]

If you go to the Maine maritim museum they made a Skellington of the ship it is very impressive to see and walk throw.

[@J.A.Smith2397]

Tks

[@robertkwiatkoski1292]

when i moved to Nags Head N.C. in 1981 there was still a replica of the goast ship here. Your correct about history being lost. New residence to the new OBX ( outer banks) don't even know how the town got its name. You vold do a short video on that and the town of Kill Devil Hills getting its name. i enjoy your series.

[@patrickdurham8393]

I try to make a yearly trip to the outer Banks to fish and camp and every time I've been there I found the skeleton of some ship poking through the sand.

[@johnkeenan1829]

First it was The Demeter, and then this one. Dracula gets around.

[@tm502010]

Spooky…

[@MagereHein]

Arrr, no Bolshevik Pirates... Cheers for this story, @The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered

[@jackblack9208]

I just went around diamond shoals yesterday. Fortunately it wasn't too snotty out there however this weekend is supposed to be brutal.

[@roryvonbrutt7302]

epic as always‼️®™️ ☑️☑️

[@superdupercooper5826]

There are additional short documentaries by Big Old Boats and Maritime Horrors on KZbin.

[@uwusmolbean]

Those who learn from history, are still doomed to repeat it, suffering along with the rest of us ✌️

[@nolgroth]

Was there no ship's log found? That might have at least narrowed the time line down a little.

[@TheHistoryGuyChannel]

The log was missing, along with the captain’s instruments

[@gregsmith1719]

So, we don't know what happened to them -- This deserves to be recovered.

[@simongleaden2864]

It's fascinating that large wooden-hulled sailing ships were still being built after the Great War.

[@WildWestGal]

If the parrot was still in the Captain's quarters, it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't either let the bird fly free or take it with them, no matter what the circumstance that prompted them to leave the ship. Certainly, the Capt. would have. Unless, of course, the crew did mutiny, "did away with" the Captain, and then abandoned ship... thus abandoning themselves to their fate. Under those circumstances, none of them would have cared about the fate of the bird. I, for one, am glad the bird was found alive. And, if it could talk... Reply

[@justme_gb]

I believe you're applying a modern opinion of pets to an old situation. While pets may have been well loved in the 1920s, times were different. A sailor would have likely abandoned a bird as quickly as a cat was shoo-ed from the house.

[@bennyboogenheimer4553]

Oh Deering, Me!!

[@ns219000]

Please say it was pirates... 12:10 - Yay!

[@ralphscichilone9757]

The picture of the sunset over the water is very pretty except as this is an east coast story this would be a sunrise not sunset

[@dangreene3895]

Even back then we had fake news

[@MakerInMotion]

The guy that faked the message in a bottle to get a lighthouse job ended up getting that lighthouse job. Unbelievable.