A team led by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn recently located the long-lost wreck of the Lac La Belle, a 19th-century luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872. The discovery was officially announced by Shipwreck World after years of searching for the ship.
Ehorn’s search for the ship began over 60 years ago, and a breakthrough in 2022 led to the successful discovery. With the help of information from fellow wreck hunter Ross Richardson, Ehorn used side-scan sonar to locate the ship within just two hours of setting out onto Lake Michigan.
The Lac La Belle, a 217-foot steamer built in 1864, had a tumultuous history of sinking and resurfacing before meeting its final fate in 1872. On the night of October 13, the ship left Milwaukee bound for Grand Haven, Michigan, carrying passengers and cargo. Tragically, the ship began taking on water and eventually sank, with some lives lost.
Despite being covered in quagga mussels, the wreck remains in relatively good condition on the lakebed. Divers exploring the site found evidence of the ship’s cargo, including barrels of whiskey that had deteriorated over time.
The Great Lakes are known for hosting thousands of shipwrecks, with many still undiscovered. Concerns about invasive species like quagga mussels damaging these wrecks have fueled efforts to locate and document these historical sites. John Janzen, a member of Ehorn’s team, expressed hopes for further shipwreck searches in the future, emphasizing the harsh and unpredictable nature of the Great Lakes. Janzen also dismissed notions of the Lac La Belle being cursed, attributing its demise to the unforgiving environment of the lakes.
