The Mysterious Story of the Carroll A. Deering

Posted: 10.09.2025 | Updated: 10.06.2025

The Carroll A. Deering was an ordinary five-mast schooner, but its story was nothing short of bizarre. In 1921, off the coast of North Carolina, the Carol A. Deering was found completely abandoned with no captain or crew in sight. 

Theories abounded as to what could have happened and where the crew could be. Although skeptics have rejected theories of the supernatural being involved, the disappearance of the Deering’s crew has never been fully solved. 

Getting ready for your next trip to North Carolina? Learn all about the history, hauntings, and lore of the area by booking a ghost tour with Charlotte Ghosts today!

What Happened To The Carroll A. Deering?

In January 1921, the Carroll A. Deering ran aground on the Diamond Shoals near Cape Hatteras. An investigation by the US Coast Guard found no trace of any crew members on board. Both lifeboats had been deployed, but there seemed to be no reason for the crew to abandon ship. As newspapers got hold of the story, theories abounded. Among the most popular explanations for the vanishing were:

• Attack by pirates
• Mutiny
• Russian spies
• The Bermuda Triangle

Multiple federal agencies investigated the Carroll A. Deering, but no one could settle on a conclusive answer. As a result, the Deering remains one of the most popular ghost ship stories of all time.

Last Voyage of The Carroll A. Deering

Less than two years before the infamous crew disappearance, the Carroll A. Deering was built in 1919 by the G.G. Deering Company in Bath, Maine. The company’s owner named the ship after his youngest daughter. 

The Deering was a 255-foot-long, five-masted cargo schooner weighing approximately 2,000 tons. Although no one could have predicted the fatal outcome of the Deering, there were warning signs that its final voyage was not going smoothly.

The Carol A. Deering began its final voyage when it set sail from Rio de Janeiro on December 2, 1920, with 12 crew members under the direction of Captain Willis Wormel. Making their way to Virginia, they first stopped in Barbados, where Captain Wormel informed a fellow captain that there were troublemakers among his crew. 

The captain was also feeling ill, and it was illness that had prevented the Deering’s usual captain from making the voyage. One crew member allegedly said he was going to “get” Captain Wormel. Wormel feared mutiny was not far off.

On January 29, 1921, the Deering was spotted by the Cape Lookout Lightship. It was at this time that a crew member on the Deering used a megaphone to tell the lightkeepers that the vessel had lost both of its anchors. The lightkeepers also noted that the crew seemed to be in bad spirits, aimlessly roaming the deck. 

The following day, January 30, at 5:45 p.m., the Coast Guard recorded the Deering making an irregular sailing pattern. By the following morning, there would be an ominous turn of events.

Discovery of The Carroll A. Deering

On January 31, 1921, the Carroll A. Deering was spotted by the US Coast Guard off the shores of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Although the schooner had its sails set, it was standing still in the water. 

Upon closer inspection, the Coast Guard realized that the Deering had run aground on the Diamond Shoals, and there was no crew on board. Baffled, the Coast Guard made plans to investigate, but heavy winds and storms prevented them from getting to the Deering until four days later.

A newspaper reporter would later describe the Deering as being, “Like a ‘Flying Dutchman,’ the five-masted schooner Carroll A. Deering loomed through the mists about Diamond Shoals today, all sails set, but unmanned.” 

This was more or less the scene that awaited the US Coast Guard when they boarded the Deering on February 4, 1921. The ship’s wheel, rudder, and rudder housing had all been destroyed after running aground. Both lifeboats had been deployed, and a ladder was hanging over the side of the ship, indicating that the crew had abandoned it. 

An inspection of the ship found that the only living inhabitants were a few very hungry cats. The crew’s beds were unmade, and pots were still on the stove. The lead-up to the crew’s departure seemed completely ordinary. 

However, there were things missing. All of the captain’s nautical equipment and papers had been taken, as well as the crew’s clothing. Strangely, the ship’s navigation charts were found in Captain Wormel’s bathroom. 

With no trace of the crew or leads to go on, speculation about the “ghost ship” Carroll A. Deering quickly spread.

Theories About The Carroll A. Deering

Initially, the US Department of Justice theorized that the Deering had been overtaken by pirates. However, this did not explain why so many valuable supplies had been left behind. 

There were also no signs of a struggle. That said, the storms could have easily washed blood and other evidence off the deck. Any trace of mutiny could have also been washed away by the sea.

Another theory was that the Deering had been seized by Russian spies as part of a Bolshevik plot to steal ships. Another ship, the Hewitt, also disappeared in the same area around the same time as the Deering, leading some to believe there was a conspiracy. 

The newspapers ran with yet another theory involving the Hewitt. Journalists speculated that both ships had gotten lost in the Bermuda Triangle, an area of the Atlantic Ocean where countless ships have gone missing. It was this theory that cemented the Deering’s place in supernatural history.  

Message In A Bottle

Early on in the investigation of the Deering, a compelling and bizarre piece of evidence was found. In March 1921, a man named Christopher Columbus Gray discovered a message in a bottle along the North Carolina shores. 

The message read, “Deering captured by oil burning boat something like chaser. Taking off everything Handcuffing crew. Crew hiding all over ship. No chance to make escape. Finder please notify headqts. Deering.” 

The discovery of the letter led to multiple federal organizations becoming involved in the case. Unfortunately, the whole thing turned out to be an elaborate hoax. Gray admitted in September that he had written the letter himself. With no other evidence to go on, the investigation into the Carroll A. Deering quietly came to an end. 

A Final Explanation

When Coast Guard Captain R.L. Gaskill boarded the Deering on February 4, he quickly determined the fate of its crew. He believed that after the ship ran aground, the crew panicked and fled the ship in an attempt to get to Cape Hatteras. However, the stormy seas would have quickly capsized any lifeboat, and the crew would have died in the vain escape attempt. 

If true, Gaskill’s theory is especially tragic because the crew could have easily survived on the ship until the storm settled and a rescue team came for them. Instead, the Deering was stripped of all valuable equipment and supplies, which were sold at auction. The empty ghost ship sat on the Diamond Shoal for three weeks until the unrelenting waves of the Atlantic crushed the Deering into pieces. 

Haunted Charlotte

The disappearance of the Carroll A. Deering’s crew remains a fascinating story for supernatural and nautical enthusiasts alike. How could a dozen people disappear without a trace, while leaving a ship perfectly intact? It seemed like the crew could return at any moment by the looks of things, but their fate has long since been lost to time.

North Carolina is filled with ghostly legends and lore, as well as shocking unsolved mysteries. You can learn more about the state’s spooky side by booking a ghost tour with Charlotte Ghosts for your next visit! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Charlotte hauntings.

Sources:

• https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2023/01/the-mysterious-disappearance-of-ghost-ship-carroll-a-deerings-crew/

• https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/3946247/ghostship-carroll-a-deering/

• https://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/carroll-a-deering-lost-ghost-ship/