The wreckage was later determined to be a well-preserved section of a wooden ship's hull. (St. Johns County Sheriff's Office)
Part of an old sailing ship believed to be from the 18th century washed ashore on Ponte Vedra beach in Florida overnight on Tuesday, local officials said.
Early Wednesday morning, Julie Turner and her 8-year-old son came across the ship, CBS47 reported. The two first thought it was a part of fence, but realized shortly after it was "a historical piece of artifact," Turner told the news station. It was later determined to be a well-preserved section of a wooden ship's hull.
"To actually see this survive and come ashore. This is very, very rare. This is the holy grail of shipwrecks," Marc Anthony, the owner of Spanish Main Antiques in St. Augustine, told CBS47.
Anthony, who has spent more than 20 years searching for shipwreck artifacts and treasure coins, among other historical items, said the wreckage appeared to be from the 18th century.
According to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, officials for Guana River State Park in Ponte Vedra requested that archaeologists further inspect the wreckage.
Researchers with the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum have been documenting the artifact and say it could date back as far as the 1700s.
They are "taking lots of notes, doing drawings, mapping it out. There are so many details that go into trying to assess the date, where it came from," Tonya Creamer, who works at the museum, told CBS47.
Researchers have also taken photos and measured the ship so they can create a 3-D model of it.
What will happen to the wreckage next is not entirely clear.
Creamer said that because the ship washed ashore on state land, Florida officials will ultimately decided what to do with the artifact. However, there's a chance the 48-foot section of the ship could be reclaimed by the sea.
Creamer was not immediately available for additional comment when contacted by Fox News on Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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