Magnet Fishing In The Detroit River

**TIMT** · May-06-21, 12:40 AM

Throughout the 1990s & until 2002 when I moved from Downtown Detroit [[Riverfront Towers) to California, I used to go SCUBA Diving along the shore in the Detroit River occasionally, either solo in the Riverfront Towers marina & in-front of the seawall, or with friends at various spots -- Belle Isle, in front of the Brodhead Armory [[before they put fencing up, to prevent us from doing it!), etc.

We did it mostly for the adventure -- trying to find 'treasure,' but for a few years, I was a Rescue Diver for the Spirit of Detroit 'Thunder Fest' hydroplane races and for a few days prior to that event, we'd all do training dives off a boat in the middle of the Detroit River, along the course [[familiarization with the current, visibility, bottom topology, etc.).

Visibility mostly depended on the when it last rained in the area. It was never great, but for the experienced diver, the 5'-15' average horizontal visibility [[assuming it was around Noon, with the sun directly overhead) was OK. The nice thing about the current is that if I stirred-up some silt when pulling some old bottle out of the bottom muck, the current would take it downstream, away from me if I held my place. We tried not to touch or stir-up the much much, because THAT is where the various nasty heavy metals, chemicals, etc. was.

Most of the best diving was within about 30' of shore, because that was around the maximum distance someone on shore would have tossed their old Coca-Cola, beer or milk bottle out to. Further out in the river, we'd find piles of mostly beer bottles in spots where fishermen had anchored their boats at, tossing their empties overboard and most of them drifting down-river a little but accumulating within a 5' radius of each other.

For the Thunderfest Rescue Diver training dives, it was mostly hard work -- they'd put a heavy object with some tags on it on the bottom [[usually no deeper than about 25') and a surface marker. The rescue boat would approach the surface marker from up-stream, and we'd enter the water from the moving boat at the position we thought appropriate, then when we thought it was the appropriate distance based on the current, we'd dive down to the target & retrieve the tag with our name on it. Sounds pretty straight-forward, BUT you couldn't see the bottom target or marker line at the time you needed to start descending, and if you didn't descend at the right time, by the time you got to the bottom, you would have overshot the target. With a little luck, you'd at-least see it as you passed it, then hit the bottom & try to kick hard against the current, going up-stream to get your tag off it and then surface triumphantly... But under the semi-legit guise of current & visibility familiarization, we'd also dive under parts of the MacArthur Bridge, which was obviously another good place to find stuff, albeit it was more likely to be 'contraband' than treasure. There was really just one reason someone would take a big knife or gun, or busted-open safe, etc. onto the MacArthur Bridge & toss it into the water...

It was really cool to be in the River, just 5 or 10 feet from shore, and come across some Coca-Cola bottle that dated back to the 1920s. I used to think that maybe my grandfather could have tossed it in, while walking along the riverfront on his first date with my grandmother... Oldest/rarest bottle I found dates back to the 1800s, but we found many plain milk bottles, medicine bottles and others that can't really be dated.

When I was doing the Thunderfest rescue Diver stuff, we were told that sometime in the early 1990s, a hydroplane had a blow-over & lost it's canopy, which was the same canopy used by F-16 fighter aircraft, and worth a lot of $$$. There was like a $10,000 reward at the time if we could find it. We never did. That sort of thing is heavy, BUT it's also something that could have continued to move pretty far down the Detroit River...

I don't find the news story about it on-line anymore, but when I was living at Riverfront Towers Apartments, apparently pretty much directly in-front of the complex but in about 85' depth in the middle of the shipping lane, there was a British warship that sunk sometime around the War of 1812. I fantasizing about putting on my drysuit & dual-120cfm air tanks & trying to find it, but I would have had to enter the river about half a mile upstream, ideally on the Canadian side, get down to the bottom ASAP and just hope that I drifted into it, then let the current keep taking me down the river as I worked to get back to the shoreline & out of the shipping channel before surfacing -- all pretty stupid to do. The safe & actually rather easy way to do it would have been for a boat to find it on a sonar or fish-finder, drop an anchored line to the upstream side of it, and then to drop down while holding onto the line for dear life, with a chase-boat ready to get me when I surfaced down-stream [[you can swim against the current but it takes a lot of strength & uses a lot of air, even if your using your hands on the sunken ship to help move up against the current).

Last I knew, SCUBA diving in the Detroit River --in the City of Detroit sections of it-- was illegal unless you got a permit from the DPD Harbormaster. We never bothered during our fun dives, but of course had official or unofficial consent & support from DPD Harbormaster, USCG, etc. for the Thunderfest stuff. On 'fun' dives, sometimes we would find a firearm. We'd complete our dives, get all our gear back into our cars, etc. and & then notify DPD of the find. None of them were happy about us finding evidence that they then had to deal with, especially if it looked like it'd been in the water for a while, but they never asked if we'd gotten the permit to dive in the river. In talking to a DPD friend in a position to know, they didn't like people diving/swimming in the river [[other than marked area like some spots on Belle Isle) because too many people couldn't swim to begin with, and/or didn't know how to deal with the current. Plus, the DPD Underwater Recovery Team had fun finding cool old stuff in the river & didn't want to share their treasure grounds with others.

We would wear full wetsuits, hoods & gloves, or even drysuits, and I'd often use a hand rake to poke around in the sediment. I was always concerned that sooner or later, I'd find a body or body-part, either seeing it in 'cement galoshes,' or worse -- something drifting into me & startling me, then me having a heart attack when I noticed it was a body. We'd take lots of fresh water & soap with us, and rinse ourselves off as best we could after we got out of the water, then really rinse our gear and immediately take showers when we got home, because we knew there were a lot of pollutants in the Detroit River [[& for that reason, I call it the Detroit River, not "water"). One gross thing we'd see dozens of all the time floating past us during a dive -- plastic tampon applicators. After a couple dives, I'd develop a rash...

Diving the Riverfront Towers Apartments Marina was great because the seawall blocked the current. I'd tow a surface marker above me, and my friends lounging on their boats would warn any of the boaters that may actually leave the marina [[99% of the time, the tenants that had boats there never took them out!). In addition to the beer cans & bottles, I'd find cellphones, some watches, keys, and other things that people would accidentally lose overboard. One boat-owning neighbor pointed to the exact spot his "$10,000 gold & diamond ring" fell off his finger & into the river at the marina. I knew it was only about 10' deep there, and also knew that a heavy ring should pretty much have dropped straight down, so I figured I'd be quite the hero when I found it & that I'd get to part on his 41' Sea Ray whenever I wanted to. I spent about an hour feeling around in the muck, which was about 2' deep It was like sticking your arm into chocolate pudding) but I never found it! He's probably still thinking I found it, but just didn't tell him....

Coldest dive I ever made was New Years Day in I think 1999. It was 28 degrees at a depth of 10' off of Belle Isle. At 28 degrees you'd expect it to be frozen, but due to the current --and probably all the chemicals in the River-- it wasn't.

For Ray1936: I live in Henderson NV now. Lake Mead has lots of underwater history to it -- remember, it was dry land, with some communities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1RTCp3dcIo
trees, etc. before it was deliberately flooded to become a water reservoir with the construction of the Hoover Dam. There's a very special B-29 bomber aircraft in it:
https://www.nps.gov/lake/learn/histo...-mead-b-29.htm Plus the popular swimming & cliff jumping spots will have jewelry, wallets, watches, etc.

**Ray1936** · May-06-21, 10:59 AM

Great post, TIMT! Ate up every word! I've spent some time boating on Lake Mead, but except for a swim close to shore never had any experience at diving of any kind. Also knew about the swamped communities and the B-29. Local paper occasionally posts a good article of historical nature, although it generally stinks otherwise <g>. Anyway, as my 85th birthday looms ahead this fall, I suspect I'll just do my diving in the bathtub any more.

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · May-06-21, 02:25 PM

What a wonderful account of your time spent in the Detroit River. thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us. im not a diver and if i were im not sure i would be brave enough to enter this river. i can throw my ten pound magnet straight upstream and within minutes i am pullint it straight upstream. that current frightens me at times. other times it does not seem too bad.

**Jimaz** · May-07-21, 10:52 AM

Throwing My Magnet Off a Pier and I Pulled Up Some Unexpected Objects

This week I'm throwing my magnet off a pier and I pulled up some unexpected objects. This was a family outing and Avery was stunned by what came out of the water....

It's a lot of tools and a watch this time.

So what happens to all this stuff? Is it even possible to refurbish things like pliers to a usable state? The knives should be easy to clean. Do you ever take stuff to a scrap yard?

So many catfish bells!

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · May-07-21, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Throwing My Magnet Off a Pier and I Pulled Up Some Unexpected Objects

It's a lot of tools and a watch this time.

So what happens to all this stuff? Is it even possible to refurbish things like pliers to a usable state? The knives should be easy to clean. Do you ever take stuff to a scrap yard?

So many catfish bells!

Yes i built a electrolysis tank and many of the pliers i have put in there are completely usable now. I cannot put stainless or copper in the tank though so i have not tried any of the knives i have found as i believe they will have stainless steel in them. we try to get scrappers to take everything every chance we get but some of the items we pulled up here belong to the city of Wyandotte. Anywhere Fisherman fish we find tons of catfish bells. thank you all for watching this weeks adventure.

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · May-07-21, 11:58 AM

Oh yeah and i finally have another camera to film under water so the videos to come should be a little more interesting.

**One Shot** · May-09-21, 03:56 PM

I too wondered about the sediment attached to these recoveries. The river hasn’t always been clean.
Still so cool because you never know what your gonna pull up! Especially with the long history of our area.

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · May-12-21, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by One Shot

I too wondered about the sediment attached to these recoveries. The river hasn’t always been clean.
Still so cool because you never know what your gonna pull up! Especially with the long history of our area.

We really enjoy the aspects of cleaning and preserving the waterways. The Sediment at the bottom is always moving due to strong current in the Detroit River. We also fish around Zug island but that was dredged a few years ago to remove sediment and debris. I am not sure if we are really stirring up much at the bottom of the river but it is always interesting to see what comes out.

**Jimaz** · May-18-21, 08:38 PM

Now that the weather is warming this hobby is likely to grow fast.

Get the Motor City Magnet Fishing Event Day!

This special video is footage from our event on Saturday {May 15th} where we gave away the magnet fishing kits to children. Many in the YouTube magnet fishing and metal detecting community pulled together to make this event happen and we are SO very grateful. It was so amazing to see the smiling faces and wonder as kids pulled up their treasures. Please support these channels that participated in the event:

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · May-19-21, 08:59 AM

That was one of the best days i have ever had on the river. it was so great to see all the happy children and adults.

**GPCharles** · May-19-21, 09:49 AM

Is the Detroit River considered to be part of the Great Lakes?
If yes, is it legal to take artifacts off the bottom?

EGLE - Frequently Asked Questions [[michigan.gov)

**Jimaz** · May-19-21, 10:36 AM

Heh. Is catch and release magnet fishing a thing? When you release do you get a littering ticket?

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · May-19-21, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

Is the Detroit River considered to be part of the Great Lakes?
If yes, is it legal to take artifacts off the bottom?

EGLE - Frequently Asked Questions [[michigan.gov)

That is a great question. I do not believe it is but i have gotten permission from the DNR and the Detroit Police. The only stipulation was to turn anything of historic significance to the DNR and anything illegal to the police.

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · May-19-21, 11:11 AM

If anyone is found releasing their magnet fishing finds back into the river they should be fined and have all their magnets taken away just as if you were poaching or fishing illegally. this hobby is supposed to be about cleaning the waterways and having fun doing it. for some it is only about treasure hunting and that is fine as long as they properly dispose of their finds.....

**Jimaz** · May-27-21, 12:15 PM

Another Gun Pulled Out of the Detroit River While Magnet Fishing!!

I'd bet some of those knives could be cleaned up pretty easily. You could resell them at a flea market.

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · May-27-21, 12:35 PM

I'd bet some of those knives could be cleaned up pretty easily. You could resell them at a flea market.[/QUOTE]

That is a great idea. We don't do this to make money but have recently started to through YouTube and thank goodness for that. some of the equipment we use is a little costly and putting together all those magnet kits to give the children racked up a heck of a bill for us even though we had many great people help out and donate to that initiative. it is going to be nice to have money to replace lost magnets and broken tools as well as gloves and fuel for the vehicles. maybe i will clean some up and use them as giveaway items for our youtube channel. the more subscriptions and views we get he more money we will make of ad revenue. Thank you again for sharing our video here.

**Jimaz** · June-03-21, 01:44 PM

Six guns so far this year. That's impressive.

My 6th Gun Found While Magnet Fishing in Detroit
[Police Called]

In this week's video I pulled up my 6th gun while magnet fishing in Detroit. This was a solo magnet fishing trip and I was surprised by pulling up another handgun out of the water, as well as some other finds. This is the 2nd of many guns that have been found lately while I've been magnet fishing, so don't forget to check our videos every Thursday!

**Ray1936** · June-04-21, 10:48 AM

Great video. Lady cops seemed bored to death with it all, didn't they?

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · June-05-21, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Great video. Lady cops seemed bored to death with it all, didn't they?

I think they were less bored and more cautious. we did not show the interaction before they came to my trunk but when i told them the gun was in my trunk they were like " why would you put that in your car" I reminded them that i had been waiting more than an hour for their response and did not want to just leave it sit down by the water. this was also about 24 hours after i get my second Covid shot and i was starting to not feel very good. thank you for watching.

**Jimaz** · June-06-21, 08:30 PM

Archeologists have discovered a mystery at the bottom of Lake Huron

Two small artifacts recovered from the depths have a big story to tell. They are challenging what we think we know about how humans lived in North American nearly 10,000 years ago.

**Satiricalivory** · June-06-21, 10:25 PM

You have to call the police every time you find a gun?

**MotorCityMagnetFishers** · June-07-21, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by Satiricalivory

You have to call the police every time you find a gun?

Detroit has told me i can take them to the police station so that i do not have to wait for a response. yes all firearms should be turned into the police. that is the law.

**Jimaz** · June-17-21, 01:51 PM

Why Are There So Many Guns in the Detroit River?
I caught Another One and Police Were Called!

*This video is reposted after it was accidentally posted a couple weeks ago then pulled*

Detroit river? I pulled up another handgun with my Rogue Magnetics 1200 lb magnet and Avery was excited to be a part of the finds too with her handcuff!...

I love the pliers. That kind of find is actually useful.