NC Underwater team attempts to recover 2002 shipwreck

Underwater team attempts to recover shipwreck
By: Kira Mathis

EDEN, N.C. -- Underneath these waters along the Dan River in Eden sits a historic replica of a batteau.

"It's 40 feet long, eight feet wide, dry weighs probably about a ton and a half and wet probably twice that, at least twice that," Dr. Lindley Butler from the Dan River Basin Association said.

But Butler, along with the N.C. Underwater Archaeology team, plan to pull the three-ton shipwreck out of the muddy waters.

They began the feat Wednesday afternoon.

"It's in the mud and sand partly, so the idea is to dredge the sand off and then use some type of buoyant, " said Butler. "We're talking about lift bags or fire house, to raise it and then get it turned over, it's on its side, get it turned upright. And then if we can get it out, we'll take it down the river and take it out down at the boat landing which is about a mile and a half below here."

The batteau was built in 2002. It was used for historic tours along the river until high waters from a storm brought it down in 2008.

"And they ran it for several years, in fact as far as we know it was the only commercial batteau operating in the nation in that time," Butler said.

He also said the boat is an important reminder of a key part of North Carolina's history. "It gave us a global connection," said Butler. "It sounds very modern but in fact it did give this region a global connection and was an economic of that time so it's very important because it tells that story and it really is the key to the development of this river valley," he said.

The Underwater Archaeology team traveled all the way from Wilmington to help recover the boat and are excited to take part.

"It's history, it's navigation, it's exploration, it's boat building, it's design, it's meeting people in their culture, it's really important," Julep Gillman-Brown with NC Underwater Archaeology said.

They hope to have the batteau out of the water by Friday.