A mysterious, submarine-like vessel appeared off the coast of Highland Beach just over a week ago, and its discovery has officials and beachgoers wondering exactly what it is and how it got there.
The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed they investigated the object, but they don't know what it is.
Mark Engelhardt, of Austin, Texas, was in town visiting his parents when he discovered a 20-foot-long, steel vessel shaped like a submarine beached about 150 yards off the coast. The bright orange tail of the vessel caught his eye from the beach, as it is clearly visible above the water from shore.
The vessel is sunk at a 45-degree angle off the 3700 block of South Ocean Boulevard. Engelhardt, 52, said he and other beachgoers were curious about what it was, so on Oct. 26 he put on his goggles and started swimming.
What he found shocked him.
"We thought it was a buoy or something that fell off a ship," he said. "But it's definitely not that."
Here's how he described it: It's a cylindrical, steel vessel that appears to be welded together. Inside, there's a 6-cylinder engine and a battery. Outside, there are two hatches that appear to allow someone to get in and out.
The tail is painted bright orange, and the front is pointed. He estimates it's about 3-1/2 feet in diameter.
"I come from Texas three times a year to see my parents, to catch some sun, hang out by the pool and then this happens," he said.
With an underwater camera, Engelhardt snapped some shots and notified authorities.
Coast Guard officials described it as an "obstructive" object in the water and plan to investigate whether there are any signs of who built it, where it came from or if it belongs to anyone.
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Teri Barbera confirmed that the Sheriff's Office checked out a submarine-like vessel in the water, but is not investigating any further.
The bow of a homemade submarine protrudes out of the water as divers help secure it off the coast of Highland Beach, Fla., on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015.
(Jim Rassol / TNS)
In the meantime, Coast Guard officials said they issued a warning to mariners and put a light on the tail to alert boaters. They don't plan to tow it, officials said.
Engelhardt said while he can't be entirely sure it's a submarine, he said it's the spitting image of one.
He and his parents theorize it was used to smuggle drugs or other nefarious objects ashore, but officials haven't confirmed that.
"What else could be in something like that?" Engelhardt said. "This is crazy. This is like, whoa."
kjacobson@sunsentinel.com,
