TOLEDO (WTOL) - Hmm, it seems that VisitPutInBay.org is up to its April Fools’ tricks again, a little early. A news release and social media posts on Saturday claimed a submarine service was on its way to Put-in-Bay.
Last year, the same website - which has ties with the Put-in-Bay Resort, not the Chamber of Commerce - claimed that a Port Clinton to Put-in-Bay tunnel service was coming. And, well, we saw how that turned out.
An article on the site stated that the 65-foot submarine called “The Spirit of Lake Erie” would be offering 45-minute, narrated tours three times daily in the morning and afternoon.
The article went on to say that while on your subaquatic adventure, you would be able to get an underwater look at a number of Lake Erie wrecks, including the Charles Spademan, Isabella Boyce and the Prison Ship Success.
These tricksters added details like service prices, a start date and even in-depth safety and testing information.
WTOL still did its usual due diligence in an effort to verify this story, and reached out to the Put-in-Bay Police Department, the Chamber of Commerce, Atlantis Adventures and the Jet Express.
Messages were left with the chamber, submarine company and ferry company.
A woman answering the phone listed at VisitPutInBay.org’s website - which rings to the resort - had very little to say.
"I can only tell you what the article says. I don't know anything else," she said.
She was unable to connect WTOL to the author of the article, Mark Mathys, and had no phone number available for him.
A Put-in-Bay police officer simply chuckled.
“I don’t think a submarine service is coming,” he said.
The officer said the department had no indication that there was a submarine service coming to the island. He referenced last year’s tunnel prank as a likely sign that the sub plan is indeed a hoax.
Hoax or not, that didn’t stop people from widely sharing the post on Facebook. By 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, it was shared more than 3,000 times.
While the Chamber of Commerce never did get back to us by phone, representatives put out a post on Facebook, dispelling the rumors once and for all.
The post may have gotten some hopes up, but we are on to their antics now. They may have to try a little harder next year to trick us with any April Fools’ Day hijinks.
Game on!
