Comments on: Man claims treasure found on Google Earth

A Los Angeles musician is going to court to claim ownership of a buried ship that he says has $3 billion of treasure. He claims that he found the ship on Google Earth.

[gagahput3ra]

Really? You could find treasure with Google Earth? I thought weed was their best achievements.

[jc364]

I think the biggest treasure is going to be claimed by the lawyers...

[Stormspace]

In most states waterways do not belong to the landowner. It'll be interestign to see how this plays out.

[Joetwopointoh]

See what happens when you allow lawyers to get involved? The man who found "it" and the property owner should have struck an agreement to share in whatever might be there and moved on. Now the only people who will come out with any profit will be the lawyers. Fail.

[PhaseDMA]

Why does Cnet employ you Chris Matyszczyk? Go work for the Onion.

Just split the stupid profits. Becoming a instant billionaire while sharing doesn't seem like a terrible thing to me.

[mikeburek]

Why does CNet let you comment on here? Please go comment on Onion articles.

[Jonnygthedrummer]

Im goin to be google earthin today!!

[TxTodd]

Could this be it???? http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=nppbn66xgp61&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=16498961&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

It looks like the outline of a ship, and it seems to fit with the comments made, that it's not in the water, but on the land. I couldn't figure out how to get an exact link from Google, so I used Microsoft Live maps, which has better aerial shots anyway.

[SniffTheDuck]

PhaseDMA said it all.

[prosperogogo]

Barkentine Creek has a spanish barquentine . . . what a miraculous coincidence that has never been investigated by anybody in 170 years?

[Spimby]

Maybe the answer is burried somewhere in here (court documents)

http://news.justia.com/cases/featured/texas/txsdce/4:2007cv00784/495362/

[jjolsen]

Maybe, but the applicable parts are sealed.

[i_hover]

true... most papers are sealed, but in reading the open ones, they let it slip that it is in Mission River actually! It also states that a boat can float from the abandoned vessel and either go down Mission River and out into the Gulf of Mexico, or go up the river to the interior of the United States. And in Mr Smith's list of exhibits, there is a photo of a wood chip from the vessel... of course the exhibits aren't available online, just the lists from both sides... But still, there are several 'footprint shaped' areas along the flats of the Mission River near Mission Bay, but I don't have access to Google Earth here at work and MSN only has the same aerial photos... no 'bird's eye' view of that area... :-(

[jorne1]

Shades of Mel Fischer. You would think that rather than wasting all that time in court they could work out who gets what percentages and start digging.

[thirdroute]

that's awesome! I live nearby and when someone finds the location we can go digging at night. Who needs lawyer? :-)

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

@thirdroute,

I couldn't, of course, officially encourage you to trespass on private property. But a world without lawyers, now that would be a very interesting world indeed.

I look forward to your news of the site's potential goldmine.

Chris

Even if that is the ship I doubt there is anything worthwhile left to find

http://texancultures.com/education/crossroads/tales/mystery_barkentine_creek.pdf

I don't expect anyone would bother to take the timbers and leave the gold and silver behind :)

[knowles2]

Off cause the family know their somthing their, would not of cost that much to get a little off the book survey done of the site, or just buy a metal detector and go for a little walk over the site.
So it a 3 way battle , of cause they could sit down an agree to split the cash three ways, a billion dollars each for surfing around on google earth, not bad ah...........like the lawyers would allow that to happen, they want their share.

And should not google, the pilot and company who supplied the photos and did all the hard work get a share to.

[JAG7202]

Rumor has it this is it:
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=nnv6wz6wzzjk&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=16705622&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

[pebear]

Well if it was my I would dig it up and make off to Brazil, I might even share the booty with the guy who discovered it, but sure as hell I would be out there right now with shovel in hand. NO way in hell would the state of Texas ever find me after I got my hands on the booty.

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

pebear,

You are a true adventurer of the old school. Thank you for commenting.

Chris

[TechnophileEbeam]

Costa Rica is the only country that will not extradite you if the US puts out a warrant.....just something my DA-instructor had mentioned in my law class.

[TechnophileEbeam]

28°11'23.57"N 97°12'7.49"W are the coordinates a few others are pointing to on Google Earth. I have a pic with the image tagged. Look for the "<" to the right of the foot print.

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

@TechnophileEbeam,

Thank you. You have provided us with excellent information today. Costa Rica, eh? I'll bear that in mind.

Chris

[Alex94115]

NOt even close. The ship is at:

27"58'07.74"N 97"12'03.44" W you can see it clearly He will spend his life and all his savings trying to recover this with TX and the Spanish Gov involved... they prolly have the place fenced off with guards by now the lawsuit started in 2007

[undetermined21]

Well I am new to this google earth thing and this story had me searching for it. I am pretty sure I located the image in the story. Has noone compared this to a football field. This image looks to be about the size of 2 or mabye 3 football fields and comparing at the same eye alt. Isn't this ship suppose to be around 83ft. I may be wrong though, who knows.

[bengates]

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=nq9tgh6xr6rg&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=16389722&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

I think it is here. Burgentine Lake and Spanish Village add additional support.

[jackylegs]

Yes that should be the area but anything specifically ?

[YahhRight]

That there was the old ice skating rink.

[jackylegs]

yahh.......skate on this......

[bengates]

I thought it might be the dark footprint shape to the right side of the view that Smith was looking at. Does really show up that well on Google earth though.