For a couple from the US state of Michigan, a renovation turns into an adventure: Under a broken hot tub, they come across a mysterious, hidden room deep beneath their house.
A couple from the US state of Michigan discovered a room about six meters deep while renovating their house. The news portal “Newsweek” reported on the case.
Trevor and Hayley Gilmartin purchased the house, which was in dire need of renovation, in 2020, but only got around to installing the pool in April of this year. That’s when they got a surprise.
One of the most striking features of the house was a broken 1970s Jacuzzi placed in the living room. After deciding to remove the hot tub, the homeowners stumbled upon the mysterious shaft beneath the pool, as Hayley explained to Newsweek. The secret room was filled with water.
A closer examination of the shaft revealed that it led to a large room beneath the house. After tests confirmed that the water in the room was fresh and therefore safe, the two decided to explore the room more closely. Neighbors are said to be telling stories about shady dealings in the property’s secret rooms during the Prohibition era, Hayley told the news portal.
They shared their discovery with the public in a TikTok video that has generated more than nine million views so far. Hayley said that the first visit to the shaft was very “creepy,” but the clear water there did not reveal anything threatening. She only discovered a locked door in the floodwaters.
In the description of the video, Hayley announced that she would open it as soon as the water warmed up. Some users paid tribute to Hayley for venturing down into the dark and flooded shaft. “Never in my life would I go in there,” admits one user. Others suspect that the room could be a retention basin.
When a family in Austria wanted to renovate the children’s room in 2023, a hole suddenly appeared in the ground. It was a so-called Erdstall, a medieval tunnel system that can be found mainly in southern Germany and Austria. To this day, their origins remain a mystery. Scientists found pottery shards and bones in the tunnel system.
Just a few days ago, the case of a family from England caused quite a stir. While renovating their kitchen, they found a bowl hidden in the floor with more than 1,029 historical coins, some of which were up to 400 years old. The discovery was a real windfall for the family, as the coins were auctioned off for a total of just under 100,000 euros. According to Newsweek, the gruesome discovery in Michigan is also likely to significantly increase the value of the property.
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