Here’s What A Town Looks Like After It’s Been Underwater For Decades

On May 11, 2013 by Tim Newman

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Bath and Storm

These photographs feature what was once a tourist town in Buenos Aires, Argentina called Villa Epecuen.

The town was established in the 1920s on the banks of a salt lake, and housed around 5,000 permanent citizens. They welcomed up to 20,000 tourists per season.

The town was particularly popular because the water in the lake was about 10 times saltier than the sea, so people, especially Jewish visitors, enjoyed doing the Dead Sea-esque floating on the surface thing.

Back in 1985, a dam and a dike burst due to some particularly wet winters and an over-zealous downpour.

This caused 33 feet of water to force its way through Villa Epecuen‘s booming little streets. Initially, people were happy to sit tight on their rooves and wait for it to trickle away. But it didn’t. So they abandoned the town.

The water began to recede in 2009 to reveal an ex-underwater world.

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Bed

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Building

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Car

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - House View

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Main Road

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Main Street

Amazingly, one resident remained in the now desolate Villa Epecuen throughout. Pablo Novak was the only person not to leave his hometown when the water swallowed it up in ’85.

He lives in a stone hut with a fridge and a basic cooker.

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Pablo Novak - Sole Survivor 2

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Pablo Novak - Sole Survivor

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Partially Reclaimed 2

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Partially Reclaimed

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Petrified Forest

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Photo

RAINBOW-COLOURED DOGS

PHOTOS OF 19TH CENTURY INDIA

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Ruins Trees

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Ruins

CANOEING ALONGSIDE LAVA STREAMS

RAINBOW-COLOURED MOUNTAINS IN CHINA

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Sign Posts

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Stairs

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Sun Set Rubble

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Sun Set

Buenos Aires - Villa Epecuen - Salt Lake Atlantis - Trees Stumps

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