“After hearing rumours of an airboat sunk off Rockport by Yeo island for years I began to gather the stories to further confirm its location. Community members said it was near the green marker buoy at the head of Yeo Island on the side of the shoal, others said it was at the foot of the island and on the channel side as the island gets deeper. Some even said it was downstream of the Kinghorn on the opposite side of the channel from the Island. Using this information members of Shotlinediving.com set out to confirm its location and document the wreck site once and for all. During a trip to Rockport to pick up Tom, Dan turned on the side-scan to see what he could find on the trip over from Alexandria Bay, circling in near the island and heading upstream toward the buoy before cutting across the channel returned no obvious results. After picking up Tom and taking a quick swing over the Kinghorn to see the wreck’s condition they continued downstream picking up the location of the airboat as they passed heading for Whiskey Island. A return trip in 2024 with the ROV located another vessel nearby, an upside down car, and confirmed the airboat’s location. This video is a preliminary review of how the airboat looks at the end of the season in 2024.“
During a trip to Rockport, Dan Gildea decided to kick things into gear by turning on the side scan while heading over from Alexandria Bay to pick up Tom. It was a perfect opportunity to do a little searching on the way, so they made a slow approach to Yeo Island, carefully circling near the head of the island where the stories suggest the wreck might lie. From there, Dan took the boat upstream, scanning the area around the green marker buoy, but no obvious results appeared on the screen. Dan and Tom weren’t discouraged though—this was only the beginning of the hunt.
Read The Scuba News Canada Article on All About Airboats
The two explorers continued their trip, cutting across the channel to explore the deeper waters, hoping for a trace of the wreck. They decided to swing by the Kinghorn to check on the condition of the wreck before continuing a search. After a quick pass over the Kinghorn, they resumed their pursuit, navigating the boat further downstream towards Whiskey Island.
As they moved through the area, anticipation grew, and finally, after years of rumours and speculation, they discovered the location of the airboat. It was a moment of excitement, confirming that the stories weren’t just local folklore. The elusive airboat had been found, resting silently beneath the waters near Yeo Island.
But that wasn’t all—on the return trip in 2024, using an ROV for more detailed exploration, the team made yet another unexpected discovery. Close to the airboat’s location, they identified another vessel and, intriguingly, the upside-down wreckage of an old car lying nearby. The area was turning into an underwater treasure. After years of rumours and gathering information from the community, the mystery of the sunken airboat near Yeo Island was no more.
As documented in the YouTube video, Finding the airboat off Rockport, Tom filed the necessary paperwork with Parks Canada. As the boat’s current legal owner, Parks Canada contacted the St. Lawrence Commission, ensuring the find was properly recognized and handled with care.
Currently, there is an application with the Province to relocate the airboat to more accessible waters. The aim is to preserve this piece of local history while making it available for divers, historians, and enthusiasts to explore without risking the wreck’s integrity.
The Shotlinediving.com team remains dedicated to the project. With Tom’s efforts in motion, they are hopeful the airboat will soon be moved to a location where it can be appreciated by a wider audience, all while maintaining respect for the wreck and its surrounding environment.
YouTube video: Daniel Gildea
Article Courtesy of Shotlinediving