by Chad Alan

Fortaleza De San Fernando - Omoa, Hunduras

Fortaleza De San Fernando, sitting on the Caribbean coast of Honduras, was built in 1778 and was originally used to protect the Spanish pirates from the British pirates’ constant attacks.  Many battles were fought, but the fortress held true, and eventually was turned into a prison.  It was during it’s time as a prison that many unnerving reports of paranormal activity was reported.  The paranormal activity is said to continue to this day and routinely freaks out the guards and caretakers of the now historical site.  Shadows of what the prison guards thought were escaping prisoners were so real that the guards fired upon them, but all inmates were accounted for.  A ghostly Indian in white garments walked across the courtyard and was witnessed by many prisoners and guards. A bench in the church levitated and then slammed down to the ground when a modern day security officer was sitting on it.   Voices, footsteps, and cold spots are all items reported by various people over the years.

Team leader, Robb Demarest and newbie investigator, Susan Slaughter, began their investigation in the gun powder room was used as an isolation cell when the fortress turned into a prison.  Robb used a slide projector which showed various old images on the wall.  This technique is being used more and more with the team as the theory is that spirits will warm up to sounds, pictures, or occurrences that remind them of when they were alive and roaming the particular area being investigated.  Susan spoke Spanish while addresses the spirits and on two occasions both her and Robb heard a response to one of the questions along with footsteps.  They then headed to the fortress church, which was nothing more than some benches and an alter in a brick layered room.  Robb later loaded up the room with equipment and tried to get some response from the entity that reportedly lifted up the bench one guard was sitting on and was thrown off.  As he was trying to communicate one of the sensors went off and seemed to be responding to his questions.  Hopefully some nice EVP’s were caught.

Joe Chin and Scott Tepperman, the most recent addition to the team, focused on the museum part of the fortress where a night guard was said to have heard furniture moving around.  At one point they believed they heard the dragging of something but could not identify what was being dragged, very similar to what a security guard recently reported.

Robb and Susan headed to the church and started an EVP session.  They both started to feel a presence and their EMF detectors were registering electrical spikes.  Robb began feeling chest pains and was completely spooked by a feeling he had never felt before.  They left the area with many questions.

The team did have some personal experiences that were already noted, but nothing too out of the ordinary.  They did catch a few EVPS. When Robb was in the church and asked “Do you speak Spanish” he received a response saying “No.”  Another voice capture was that of something saying “mujers” or “girl” when Susan was asking questions.  Another response came when Susan asked for some sign that they were present and she reported something like a sound of pebbles being thrown in her direction.  The team felt there was definitely paranormal activity going on in the fortress but did not necessarily call it haunted.

GHI airs Wednesays at 9/8c on Syfy.  Check your local listings, especially since the HD channels offer different times for the show.

(Image courtesy of Syfy)