Coos Bay Mystery Shipwreck

09-12-2025

Storms revealed buried secrets.

In early 2008, Coos Bay’s Mystery Shipwreck surfaced after powerful winter storms battered the Oregon coast. Sand levels dropped to record lows, exposing forgotten relics. While Cannon Beach revealed cannons and Waldport unearthed an old mail truck, Coos Bay unveiled a mysterious vessel. Crowds flocked to witness this rare spectacle, creating traffic reminiscent of Los Angeles freeways.

Locals embraced the discovery.

Thousands visited the site during February, eager to see the long-hidden wreck. Steven Greif, now with the Coos History Museum, remembered hiking to the site alongside hundreds of others. For weeks, it dominated conversations across the town. Even Seaside Aquarium’s Tiffany Boothe documented the excitement with her striking photographs.

Experts puzzled over origins.

Researchers struggled to identify the ship, as conflicting stories circulated. Some locals insisted it had appeared in the 1940s, but uncertainty lingered. Several ship names were suggested, keeping the mystery alive. For a brief period, no definitive answers emerged, fueling even more fascination.

Identification solved the riddle.

By February 20, Bureau of Land Management archaeologist Steve Samuels made a breakthrough. He compared recent photos to historical images of the Ryder Hanity, later renamed the George L. Olson. Unique details like iron fasteners and anchor holes confirmed the match. The mystery was solved, but the intrigue remained.

A schooner with history.

The George L. Olson, originally built in 1917 in California, measured 223 feet. It began life as the Ryder Hanity but quickly changed names. By 1944, it crashed at Coos Bay after wave action from another ship pushed it onto rocks. Although refloated briefly, it broke apart and ultimately ran aground near the North Spit.

From memory to obscurity.

Following the wreck, families photographed children playing on its remains during the 1940s. By the 1960s, shifting sands revealed it again. However, decades of storms gradually erased the sight from memory. By the time it reemerged in 2008, many locals had forgotten its existence entirely.

Legends buried once more.

The Coos Bay Mystery Shipwreck, confirmed as the George L. Olson, remains one of Oregon’s most unusual maritime tales. After its 2008 reappearance, new storms buried it again, where it still lies hidden. Like many coastal mysteries, it reminds us that history often sleeps beneath the sand, waiting to return.

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