A safety switch
In 2018, a significant discovery added yet another layer to the Hunley’s enigmatic story. It was found that the blocks designed to facilitate the submarine’s quick resurfacing had not been deployed. This raised a critical question: why hadn’t the crew attempted to raise the Hunley as it began to sink? A prevailing theory among some researchers and historians was that the crew might have already been deceased by the time the submarine needed to be surfaced.
This hypothesis suggested a swift and fatal event inside the Hunley, preventing any responsive action from the crew. The lack of an emergency ascent further deepened the mystery surrounding the final moments of the Hunley and its crew, leading to various speculations about the circumstances that led to their untimely demise.