Submitted by iboughtarock t3_117bpez in todayilearned
The West Coast Trail, if I’m not mistaken, was originally made by survivors of shipwrecks trying to find their way back to civilization.
I hiked it 20 years ago and particularly noteworthy shipwrecks are on the map you get at the start.
With a name like that you'd think no one would sail there
Sadly, It's really the only way to get up the Columbia River.
That’s a really good ratio. I would have thought the average shipwreck caused at least one fatality.
How do 2000 ships wreck, killing only 700 people
People float, mostly
even the Titanic had a lot of survivors
That’s a terrible example!
you have no idea how many people survived the Titanic lol
I do know that at least 1 person died
Less than three people killed per accident.
your math is wrong
.28 deaths per sunken ship is less than three though
Dang
Not surprised. That stretch of coastline is visually chaotic as well. The water always looks like it’s constantly in a blender or washing machine. Reminds you the power of the ocean.
Last time I was on the Oregon coast I went about knee deep in the ocean and I was like “you know what, this is deep enough. No need to push it.”
we aim for this one.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spacecraft_cemetery
The spacecraft cemetery, known more formally as the South Pacific Ocean(ic) Uninhabited Area,[1][2] is a region in the southern Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand,[3] where spacecraft that have reached the end of their usefulness are routinely crashed. The area is roughly centered on "Point Nemo", the oceanic pole of inaccessibility, the location farthest from any land.[1]
My next door neighbor died outside Tillamook bay when his small boat capsized.
Brr. What a way to go. Sorry for the loss.
Thats also ground zero for the tsunami that will occur during the next major Cascadia earthquake
Wow, shipwrecks really have a low mortality rate, considering.
It's interesting that there's also place on the East coast, around the Hatteras Barrier Islands/Outer Banks area of North Carolina, that's known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graveyard_of_the_Atlantic
>More than 5,000 ships have sunk in these waters since record-keeping began in 1526
samfreez t1_j9awtnb wrote
There are a TON of weird and interesting wrecks along those shores. The amount of massive trees that wash up as driftwood is also something that boggles the mind.
That part of the coast suffers from some pretty heavy winds, rains, surges and waves, and is also some of the rockiest coastline you'll find in the world. That combination makes it hell for ships (specifically older ones that needed to remain close to shore), so it's no wonder the place has earned that nickname.
Still great fun to explore, however, and I highly recommend everyone do it if they can. Sunsets from anywhere along there are simply magical.