Paul Ehorn recently announced the discovery of the ‘Lac La Belle’, a 217-foot luxury passenger steamer that sank during a storm in October 1872. The vessel had departed from Milwaukee heading to Grand Haven, Michigan, when it was damaged in a gale just two hours into its journey.
Eight of the 53 people on board died after a lifeboat capsized, while the remaining passengers survived.
The Great Lakes are known for their dangerous maritime history. Historians estimate that more than 6,000 shipwrecks have been documented in the region, most occurring between 1840 and 1900 when heavy traffic and severe weather often collided.
In Lake Michigan alone, about 1,500 ships are believed to have sunk. According to Brendon Baillod, president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association, many vessels were pushed ashore by storms, while fewer, like the ‘Lac La Belle’, sank in deeper waters.
At the time of its operation, the ‘Lac La Belle’ was considered a high-quality and fast vessel, reportedly about 30 percent faster than other steamers.
It featured elegant passenger spaces including parlours and a main salon decorated with chandeliers. Alongside its passengers, the ship also transported cargo such as barley, flour, pork and whiskey along an important commercial route connected to Michigan’s railroad network.
Ehorn’s fascination with shipwrecks began at age 15 when he started scuba diving. Since 1965, he has helped locate 15 shipwrecks, including the automobile carrier Senator in 2005. His breakthrough in the search for the ‘Lac La Belle’ came in 2022 after fellow shipwreck hunter Ross Richardson uncovered a key clue. Using side-scan sonar, Ehorn detected the ship’s outline on the lakebed.
Two years later, divers documented the wreck, which remains in surprisingly good condition. Ehorn plans to share footage of the discovery at the 2026 Ghost Ships Festival in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in the United States, while continuing his lifelong search for other lost vessels.
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