SS Ethel

The steamship Ethel, built in 1872, ran aground in fog off the south-west corner of Lundy (in the vicinity of Black Rock) in February 1877. She was carrying a cargo of iron ore from Bilboa in northern Spain to Newport in south Wales. There was just time before the ship sank for the 20 crew to put on their ‘cork vests’, but the sea was such that all but one succumbed. The mate was the only one to survive, managing to swim along the south coast of the island to Lametry Bay where he climbed over the shale ridge to descend into the Landing Bay. Here he found three other ships at anchor. He managed to alert one of these, which promptly set off to see if they could help rescue any survivors. He then made it up to Millcombe House where the Heaven family tended to his needs.

The mate’s personal account of the shipwreck was published in an unacknowledged newspaper at the time. He made mention of hearing the cannon fired from the Fog Battery soon after the ship had hit the rocks. However, he said it was barely audible, even though it was just a couple of hundred yards from where the ship ran aground.

All that remains of the wreck today are her boilers, prop shaft, ribs and a few other artefacts scattered over a rocky seabed.

It is not known who is the salvage rights’ owner of this wreck.