Decades-Long Quest Ends with Discovery of Lac La Belle Wreck in Lake Michigan
TL;DR
The 217-foot luxury steamer Lac La Belle, which sank in a 1872 Lake Michigan gale off the Wisconsin coast, was found in October 2022 after a nearly six-decade search led by Paul Ehorn and Shipwreck World. The wreck, now mussel-covered with an intact hull and oak interiors, lie about 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha; eight people died when lifeboats capsized or failed, and the discovery highlights ongoing exploration of thousands of Great Lakes wrecks.
- Wreck of steamer lost in 1872 discovered in Lake Michigan PBS
- Searchers find missing ship in Lake Michigan, over 150 years after it sank The Guardian
- Shipwreck hunter finds luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872 Fox News
- Wreck of luxury steamer built in Cleveland found at bottom of Great Lake Cleveland.com
- Luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan more than 150 years ago has been found CBS News
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