The freighter Proteus was built in 1957 by Erste Donau D.G. Schzflswerft at their shipyard on the Danube River in Korneuburg. The general cargo vessel was 217.5 feet in length, 33.2 feet in beam, and 993 tons gross burden. In 1971, the Proteus was sold to Florida Panama Lines, Incorporated of Panama, but the vessel retained its original name. The freighter apparently did not operate long forher new owners, as reports indicated she was eventually abandoned on the Miami River in 1973. During the mid 1980s, Miami began to clean up the Miami River waterfront and worked to remove the numerous derelict vessels that had been rotting along its shore line for decades. After the owners failed to move their vessel, the superstructure of the Proteus was razed, and she was towed offshore and sunk as an artificial reef on January 24,1985. The wreck now rests in approximately 70 feet of water. While originally resting upright and intact, Hurricane Andrew significantly impacted the Proteus in August 1992. The former freighter w a s twisted and ripped into two pieces, with her bow section now resting on her side and the stern partially buried in the sand.