Hurricane Irma unearths ancient canoe in Indian River

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Hurricane Irma uncovered a piece of history from the bottom of the Indian River when a dugout canoe was brought to the surface.

Officials from the Florida Department of State’s Bureau of Archeological Research in the Division of Historical Resources said they are working to preserve the the canoe, estimated to weigh 600 to 700 pounds.

Randy Shots shared the news of his discovery on Facebook with his friends.

"I got to it before it was picked up by the county with all the other storm debris and placed in a landfill. I'll certainly keep everyone updated on this progress, promise," he said in his Facebook post.

The Indian River is apart of the Sovereign Submerged Lands, meaning all objects of intrinsic historical or archaeological value abandoned on state-owned lands are owned by the state with the title vested in the Division of Historical Resources, officials said.