SINGER ISLAND, FL -- A few weeks ago a local diver snorkeling not far from shore on the northern end of Singer Island stumbled upon a huge anchor and other artifacts.
Local divers like Brian Portmann and Peter Leo quickly assembled their expertise determining the anchor, which has a wooden stock and is in excellent shape, likely came from a Spanish sailing ship from the late 1800s.
"This anchor still has wood on it which is rare and means it's been covered up in the sand a long time," says Portmann.
"It's definitely a piece of a maritime artifact that's really going to enlighten the area," Leo added.
There's no treasure at the site, just a scattered section of century old pieces unearthed by sand shifting in the current.
"You've got something people have been swimming over for 100 years and didn't know it was there," says Portmann.
Now, fully exposed, it's a race against time to get these maritime discoveries to a protected location and eventually shipped into the state's hands for preservation.
It's a task Leo and Portmann are willing and ready to handle.
Both want to make sure what belongs to the state gets there in one piece.
