The Bermuda Triangle

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The Bermuda Triangle

Off the southern tip of Florida lies a phenomenon called the Bermuda Triangle. Ships, planes, and over one thousand lives were lost in the Triangle without a trace. Theories have been put forth, but still no universally accepted explanation exists for the mystery that surrounds the Bermuda Triangle.

The Bermuda Triangle covers almost 440,000 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean. An imaginary line that begins near Melbourne, Florida, extends south to Bermuda, and west to Puerto Rico before turning north to Florida, forms the Triangle. From 1972-1999, more than one hundred planes and ships have vanished into thin air. More than one thousand lives have been lost as well. One frightening aspect of this entire saga is that disappearances continue to occur at an alarming rate.

A small part of the Bermuda Triangle lies in the Sargasso Sea. This sea is best known for its tall, thick, floating seaweed called Sargassum. The seaweed is thought to be a forest that once rested on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. According to legend, the island sank at a very quick pace, taking with it the forest and vegetation.

One of the most notable disappearances is that of Flight 19. This was basically what started the craze. The flight consisted of five Navy TBM Avenger torpedo bomber planes. Mechanics had certified the planes fit for flight. Flight planes were checked thoroughly and appropriately filed with the proper authorities. There were no indications that this mission would be anything other than a routine experience for the crews of these aircraft. Even the weather was cooperation. The forecast predicted clear skies and calm winds.

Flight 19 left the Fort Lauderdale Airport at 2:10 p.m. on December 5, 1945. At 3:40 p.m. Lieutenant Robert Cox noticed his radio begin to crackle. The transmission seemed to be directed to 'Powers.' The person identified himself as FT-28, the call sign for Flight 19. FT-28 radioed that both of his compasses were out, and he was trying to find land.(Kusch)

At 4:26 p.m. Fort Everglades Rescue intercepted a transmission from FT-28. Immediately, the rescue team called several stations along the coast and asked them to turn on their radar and attempt to locate the lost flight. At 6:04 p.m. Lieutenant Taylor radioed his flight crew to tell them they were off course and needed to adjust their course to a more ea...

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...d have been set up by flying saucer. Dr. Stanley Krippner believed a black hole in space, called a vortex, existed where planes and ships that entered the Triangle did not come out. (Kusch)

In spite of today?s advanced technology, scientists are no closer to solving the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Only the stories exist to explain the loss of over one hundred planes and more than one thousand live to this ?Triangle of Terror.? The discovery of Flight 19 raised more questions than it answered. No matter how it?s looked at something does happen whether it has a scientific explanation or not in ?The Bermuda Triangle?. It can?t be denied that nothing happens there with all of the recorded tragedies on this area. The way to look at it is documentation is proof so it does exist.

Works Cited

Baumann, Elwood D. The Devil?s Triangle. Franklin Watts: New York, 1976

Berlitz, Charles. The Bermuda Triangle: An Incredible Saga of Unexplained

Disappearances. Doubleday and Company, Inc.: New York, 1974

Burnvand, Jan Herold. ?Bermuda Triangle.? Encarta Encyclopedia. 1999 ed.

Jeffrey, Kent Thomas. Triangle of Terror and Other Eerie Areas. Warner Books: New

York, 1975

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