Sunken Ship Found After 150 Years Under Lake Michigan

The wreck of the Lac La Belle, a passenger steamer lost over 150 years ago, has been discovered in Lake Michigan. Shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn located the vessel, which had sunk in October 1872, after searching for it for nearly six decades. The discovery was announced recently, following efforts to create a 3D model of the ship.

Ehorn, 80, has been fascinated by shipwrecks since his youth. He located the Lac La Belle using side-scan sonar near Wisconsin, aided by a clue from fellow researcher Ross Richardson. The steamer was en route from Milwaukee to Michigan with 53 people and significant cargo when it began taking on water.

The ship attempted to return to Milwaukee but was battered by a severe storm, which extinguished its boilers. The vessel eventually sank stern-first. Tragically, one of the lifeboats capsized during evacuation, resulting in eight fatalities among the passengers and crew.

The Lac La Belle, built in 1864, had a history of incidents, including a prior sinking in 1866. Despite its age, Ehorn reported the ship's hull to be intact, though its upper cabins are gone and its exterior is covered in mussels.

This discovery is significant as the Great Lakes are believed to hold thousands of undiscovered shipwrecks, many threatened by invasive mussels. Ehorn will present his findings, including video footage, at the 2026 Ghost Ships Festival.