''Eagle Tire Co.'' was a freighter that was sunk intentionally near Lower Matecumbe Key,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, to become an

artificial reef An artificial reef is a human-created underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing. Many re ...

and diving spot.

Ship history

The ship was built in 1962 for Danish shipowners J. Lauritzen A/S at Bijkers Shipyard, Gorinchem,

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, and named ''Raila Dan''. In 1969, she was sold to the Dutch shipping company Poseidon and renamed ''Barok''. In 1974, she was sold again, and renamed ''Carmela''. She was then sold and renamed ''Ytai'' in 1976, and yet again sold, and renamed ''Etai'' the following year. In 1981, she was sold and renamed ''Carigulf Pioneer'', and sold for the final time in 1984 and renamed ''Arron K.'' On 6 October 1985, the ''Arron K.'' caught fire while sailing from

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

, and was damaged beyond economical repair. On 19 December 1985, the ship was bought and prepared by the Florida Keys Artificial Reef Association, renamed ''Eagle Tire Co.'' for the Miami company owned by the businessman who donated $20,000 to the project, and sunk as an

near Lower Matecumbe Key,

. By 2014, the ship's final name had already been largely forgotten, referred to as simply the ''Eagle Tire'' or just the ''Eagle''.

Wreck

''Eagle Tire Co.'' lies approximately three miles north-east of the

Alligator Reef Light Alligator Reef Light is located east of Indian Key, near the Matecumbe Keys of Florida in the United States, north of Alligator Reef itself. The station was established in 1873. It was automated in 1963 and was last operational in July, 2014, ...

, six miles off the coast of the Lower Matecumbe Key, in between of water. On 2 September 1998, the wreck was disturbed by

Hurricane Georges Hurricane Georges () was a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde Category 4 hurricane which caused severe destruction as it traversed the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in September 1998, making eight landfalls along its path. Georges was the sevent ...

and split into two separate pieces, apart.

References

External links

* * * 1962 ships Shipwrecks of the Florida Keys Maritime incidents in 1985 Ships sunk as artificial reefs {{ship-stub