A West Country diver could hardly believe his eyes after stumbling across the giant bell of the SS Kintuck, a well known north Cornish wreck which lies near St Ives Head.

Descending with a buddy toward the 26m-deep Kintuck one fine evening, Simon Holden was initially disappointed to find that he had missed the wreck. Imagine his incredulity when he realised that, by sheer luck, he had landed right on top of the wreck's enormous bell, lying clearly visible in the sand.

The well-dived wreck might be expected to have yielded such a large, highly visible bell well before now. The most likely explanation is that Simon Holden happened upon it at a time when shifting sands had left it exposed.

"The Kintuck is a fairly well dived wreck," Simon told Divernet, "but I had the happy accident of missing the wreck and finding the bell, still in its hanging frame."

Simon, a rigging supervisor on a North Sea dive support vessel, brought the large bell ashore and immediately reported his find.

"The droit is with the Receiver of Wreck," he said, "and I'm hopeful of being able to keep it once due process has been followed."

The 4639-ton steamship Kintuck, which lies at 50.14.20N, 05.31.57W, was sunk in 1917 after suffering a major explosion in her stern section. All her crew abandoned ship and were picked up safely by another vessel.

The Kintuck's entire aft section, which includes a stern gun, lies separately from the rest of the hull. Divers are known to have found wooden boxes containing live brass shells, part-buried in the sand around her stern.

If any further shells are located, divers should follow the advice of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency not to touch the devices, let alone bring them ashore.

Even under water, old, unstable war munitions present a danger. In drying conditions ashore, they are even more dangerous and can explode, give off toxic fumes or leak corrosive chemicals onto clothes and skin.

Related links
MCA website