60-Year Search Ends: Luxury Steamer Wreck Discovered in Lake Michigan

Searchers have made a remarkable discovery: the wreck of a luxury steamer that sank in a Lake Michigan gale during the late 19th century. This significant find concludes a quest that began nearly 60 years ago.

Shipwreck World, an organization dedicated to locating shipwrecks worldwide, announced on Friday that a team led by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn located the Lac La Belle approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin, in October 2022.

In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Ehorn explained that the announcement was delayed as his team aimed to include a three-dimensional video model of the ship. However, poor weather and other commitments postponed their return to the wreck until last summer.

At 80 years old, Ehorn has been on a quest for shipwrecks since he was just 15. He revealed that he has been trying to pinpoint the Lac La Belle’s location since 1965. In 2022, a clue from fellow wreck hunter and author Ross Richardson helped him narrow down his search grid. Remarkably, Ehorn found the ship using side-scan sonar after just two hours on the lake.

“It’s kind of a game, like solving a puzzle. Sometimes you don’t have many pieces to put the puzzle together, but this one worked out, and we found it right away,” he shared, expressing his “super elated” feelings upon the discovery.

While Ehorn declined to discuss the specific clue that led to the discovery, Richardson mentioned that he learned from a commercial fisherman about an item specific to steamships from the 1800s found at a “certain location.” He refrained from elaborating further, noting the competitive nature of shipwreck hunting and the potential for this information to guide future research.

According to Shipwreck World, the Lac La Belle was constructed in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio. This 217-foot (66-meter) steamer operated between Cleveland and Lake Superior but sank in the St. Clair River in 1866 after a collision. The ship was raised in 1869 and subsequently reconditioned.

On the night of October 13, 1872, the ship departed Milwaukee for Grand Haven, Michigan, amidst a gale, carrying 53 passengers and crew along with a cargo of barley, pork, flour, and whiskey. Approximately two hours into the journey, the vessel began taking on water uncontrollably. The captain attempted to return to Milwaukee, but massive waves extinguished the boilers, driving the ship south. By around 5 a.m., the captain ordered the lifeboats lowered, and the ship sank stern-first.

Tragically, one of the lifeboats capsized en route to shore, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals. The remaining lifeboats successfully reached the Wisconsin coast between Racine and Kenosha.

Ehorn noted that the wreck is now covered with quagga mussels, and while the upper cabins have disappeared, the hull remains intact, with the oak interiors still in good condition.

The Great Lakes are home to an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 shipwrecks, most of which remain undiscovered, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Water Library. In recent years, shipwreck hunters have intensified their efforts due to concerns that invasive quagga mussels are gradually destroying wrecks.

The Lac La Belle marks the 15th shipwreck that Ehorn has located. “It was one more to put a check mark by,” he stated. “Now it’s on to the next one. It’s getting harder and harder. The easier ones have been found.”

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Topics
Michigan

Searchers have made a remarkable discovery: the wreck of a luxury steamer that sank in a Lake Michigan gale during the late 19th century. This significant find concludes a quest that began nearly 60 years ago.

Shipwreck World, an organization dedicated to locating shipwrecks worldwide, announced on Friday that a team led by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn located the Lac La Belle approximately 20 miles (32 kilometers) offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin, in October 2022.

In a phone interview with The Associated Press, Ehorn explained that the announcement was delayed as his team aimed to include a three-dimensional video model of the ship. However, poor weather and other commitments postponed their return to the wreck until last summer.

At 80 years old, Ehorn has been on a quest for shipwrecks since he was just 15. He revealed that he has been trying to pinpoint the Lac La Belle’s location since 1965. In 2022, a clue from fellow wreck hunter and author Ross Richardson helped him narrow down his search grid. Remarkably, Ehorn found the ship using side-scan sonar after just two hours on the lake.

“It’s kind of a game, like solving a puzzle. Sometimes you don’t have many pieces to put the puzzle together, but this one worked out, and we found it right away,” he shared, expressing his “super elated” feelings upon the discovery.

While Ehorn declined to discuss the specific clue that led to the discovery, Richardson mentioned that he learned from a commercial fisherman about an item specific to steamships from the 1800s found at a “certain location.” He refrained from elaborating further, noting the competitive nature of shipwreck hunting and the potential for this information to guide future research.

According to Shipwreck World, the Lac La Belle was constructed in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio. This 217-foot (66-meter) steamer operated between Cleveland and Lake Superior but sank in the St. Clair River in 1866 after a collision. The ship was raised in 1869 and subsequently reconditioned.

On the night of October 13, 1872, the ship departed Milwaukee for Grand Haven, Michigan, amidst a gale, carrying 53 passengers and crew along with a cargo of barley, pork, flour, and whiskey. Approximately two hours into the journey, the vessel began taking on water uncontrollably. The captain attempted to return to Milwaukee, but massive waves extinguished the boilers, driving the ship south. By around 5 a.m., the captain ordered the lifeboats lowered, and the ship sank stern-first.

Tragically, one of the lifeboats capsized en route to shore, resulting in the deaths of eight individuals. The remaining lifeboats successfully reached the Wisconsin coast between Racine and Kenosha.

Ehorn noted that the wreck is now covered with quagga mussels, and while the upper cabins have disappeared, the hull remains intact, with the oak interiors still in good condition.

The Great Lakes are home to an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 shipwrecks, most of which remain undiscovered, according to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Water Library. In recent years, shipwreck hunters have intensified their efforts due to concerns that invasive quagga mussels are gradually destroying wrecks.

The Lac La Belle marks the 15th shipwreck that Ehorn has located. “It was one more to put a check mark by,” he stated. “Now it’s on to the next one. It’s getting harder and harder. The easier ones have been found.”

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Topics
Michigan