That's Odd

Off the coast of Wales is a particularly dangerous section of water called the Menai Straight. Since records have been kept, it has been documented as being the location of many shipwrecks. It is also the location of an oddity that can only be thought of as pretty darn weird.

On December 5, 1664, a sailing vessel with 81 passengers aboard sank in the perilous waters of the Menai Straight. 80 souls lost their mortal lives. The only survivor was a man named Hugh Williams.

On December 5, 1785, exactly 121 years later, another ship sank in the Menai Straight. Of the 18 passengers and crew, only one survived - a man by the name of Hugh Williams.

Several records list different dates, but another sinking was recorded in the Menai Straight. Either on December 5 or August 5, 1820, a ship with 25 passengers sank. There was only 1 survivor - you guessed it, Hugh Williams.

On July 10, 1940, a British trawler hit a German mine and sank in the same location as the previous sinkings. This time there were two survivors, a man and his nephew. Both were named Hugh Williams.

Now, Hugh Williams turns out to be a pretty common name in that part of the world, but still, it's pretty odd don't you think?