RECOVERY OF A MYSTERY UNDERWATER PACKAGE

About 4 PM on October 23, 2011 while “playing in our sandbox” we noticed a hefty little unmarked grey tug-like boat pulling a mystery underwater package supported by two flotation bags towards shore.  Strangely, whit miles of open beach the mystery package was dropped directly behind our van.  It appears that somebody was using our van to mark their mysterious drop … What could it be?

Two men jumped overboard and disconnected the tow line from the mystery package and swam to shore landing a little way north down the beach while the sleek boat disappeared to the northeast.  The mystery package remained anchored behind our van.

Later, a white government SUV pulled up alongside the two frogmen followed by a large green US Navy salvage truck with 10 wheels, a flatbed, and a double cab.  As it turned out, it appears that a US Navy salvage team was recovering the controls of a test drone aircraft that had been ditched into the Gulf.

As nightfall was now enveloping Padre Island, the leader of the several Navy Seals now on the scene decided to recover the wreckage the next morning.  The job was finished by noon and provided a rather entertaining interlude.

Two junk pieces washed ashore two days later.  One looks like the vertical wingtip.