LEWES, Del.- Do you believe in ghosts?
A group of paranormal investigators called The Phantom Detectives claim to have found substantial evidence of spirits on The Lightship Overfalls, including disembodied footsteps and voices, and high electromagnetic field readings.
The group's founder, Josh Chaires says this 85 year old ship is one of the most haunted places he's investigated.
"I've never seen an EMF (electromagnetic field) meter and also a paralight spike that high on an investigation," he said. "We might get between five and ten on most standard EMF meters, maybe twenty if we're lucky, but I've never seen it spike to 200. That was on of the most amazing phenomena I've seen on an investigation."
According to Overfalls Foundation President Mike Safina, no one to his knowledge has died on the ship, which has been docked in Lewes for almost 50 years after serving as a floating lighthouse in the 20th century. But Safina does believe the ship to have spirits walking it's quarters.
"Ships are normally spooky kinds of places," he said. "And you walk around at night, maybe you'll sense something or feel something. I know when I'm onthe ship by myself, sometimes the hairs on the back of my neck will go up."
The team's lead investigator, Rick Warner, says respecting spirits is key when conducting your own potentially paranormal investigation.
"Just like people when they're alive, if they want to open up to you, communicate with you, have conversation, talk to you, they will do that. And if they don't they're going to keep to themselves," he said. "Same thing in the spirit world... We treat them (the spirits) just like you would treat your best friend, your neighbor, someone in school."
The Phantom Detectives do hope to visit Lewes again one day to investigate the Cannonball House on Front Street. The Lightship Overfalls is offering private tours during the winter months but is open to the public in the summer. You can book a tour on the ship's website.