If you go to this part of the beach, you might be relaxing on top of a ship

If you’ve ever spent time on the beach at 43rd Ave. North, you’ve probably relaxed on top of pieces of a 507-ton, three-masted ship.

According to a post on the Myrtle Beach City Government Facebook page, in 1893 the ship encountered a hurricane just off the coast of Myrtle Beach, leaving it to burn down to the water. The hull from the ship then drifted onto the beach, where it remained for nearly a century.

After, it settled into the sand and was eventually covered up due to beach renourishment projects. However, before that happened local photographer Jack Thompson, whose studio is located in downtown Myrtle Beach, captured a picture of the wreckage.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 1:55 PM with the headline "If you go to this part of the beach, you might be relaxing on top of a ship."