5 Things To Know About The Mysterious Bermuda Triangle Of Kentucky
The legend of the Atlantic Ocean’s Bermuda Triangle dates back to the 1500s. The large swath of ocean between Miami, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda is the site of odd compass readings, unexplained sunken ships, missing planes, and other mysterious disappearances. Venture 1,100 miles from Bermuda though, and you’ll find tales from Kentucky that are just as compelling.
The Ohio River in Maysville, Kentucky [Luke Sharrett /For The Washington Post via Getty Images]
1. There are several areas in Kentucky said to be a “Bermuda triangle”
Places with the “Bermuda Triangle” moniker form a kind of triangle over the eastern portion of the state, but each of those areas is known for its own odd happenings. Three of the more well-known ones include Somerset, Red Bird and Highway 66, and Maysville.
2. There was a cursed rescue mission in Maysville, Kentucky
Maysville sits along the Ohio River about halfway between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Huntington, West Virginia. According to UnusualKentucky, a barge sank in West Maysville near the Kentucky side of the shoreline sometime in 1992. There were multiple attempts to raise the sunken barge, but all of them were unsuccessful. The river went on to claim two navy minesweepers, a tow boat, and a salvage barge that actually came to rest on top of the original barge. An Army Corps of Engineer spokesman reportedly called the place “The Bermuda Triangle of the Ohio River.”
3. Six people have gone missing from the same area
There’s something strange happening in Clay County, Kentucky. In 2021, there have been two unidentified human skulls found in the Red Bird community along Kentucky 66. Since 2016, there have been six missing people reported in this remote, mountainous area. The missing persons—both men and women—range in age from 21 to 69 and disappeared without a trace. It is unknown if the skulls are linked to the disappearances or if they’re just another layer in the mystery.
4. The same area was visited by a UFO
In July 1986, residents in Red Bird and the neighboring town of Oneida say they were visited by a UFO. Residents told The Manchester Enterprise that the large square object had a red light and seemingly hovered in the air, making a few passes back and forth over the region. Forest ranger Rosevelt Spurlock told the Enterprise it was the scariest thing he had ever seen. The craft reportedly scared animals and emitted a high-pitched whistling noise. Could the six missing people be explained by a more recent visit from a UFO?
5. There’s a large magnetic anomaly in Somerset
The southcentral town of Somerset, Kentucky, was recently the subject of an eight-part podcast examining strange phenomena around the town. Podcasters examined whether or not there was a cult of high class Somerset residents worshipping a green man and ultimately found the green man part to be false. The area is also reportedly ground zero for the so-called “Kentucky Anomaly”—a disruption in the earth’s magnetic force that the podcasters believe may contribute to some of the stranger happenings and odd crimes in the area.