Shipwreck Hunter Locates 1872 Steamer Lac La Belle
Paul Ehorn's team found the 217-foot steamer Lac La Belle about 20 miles offshore in October 2022; the wreck shows an intact hull and quagga mussel coverage.
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Overview
Paul Ehorn's team announced Friday that they found the 217-foot steamer Lac La Belle about 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin, in October 2022.
The Lac La Belle was built in 1864, had run routes between Cleveland and Lake Superior, and sank after a gale on the night of October 13, 1872, with 53 passengers and crew aboard.
Ehorn, 80, said he had searched for the ship since 1965 and credited a clue from wreck hunter Ross Richardson that helped narrow the search before locating it with side-scan sonar after two hours.
The wreck's exterior is covered with quagga mussels, its upper cabins are gone, the hull appears intact with oak interiors preserved, and the Great Lakes contain roughly 6,000 to 10,000 shipwrecks.
Ehorn said the public announcement was delayed while his team prepared a three-dimensional model and returned to the site last summer, and he called the Lac La Belle the 15th wreck he has located.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this item neutrally, focusing on factual reporting and historical context rather than advocacy. Coverage emphasizes discovery details, timeline, and quotations from wreck hunters (Paul Ehorn, Ross Richardson) and institutions (Wisconsin Water Library). Language is descriptive, with human-source quotes providing color while editorial voice stays informational and nonpartisan.
FAQ
The Lac La Belle sank during a severe gale on Lake Michigan on October 13-14, 1872. While traveling from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan, the ship took on water about two hours into the voyage. Waves washed over the deck and extinguished the boiler fires, leaving the vessel unable to power itself. The storm pushed the ship south, and at approximately 5 a.m. on October 14, the captain ordered the lifeboats lowered before the ship sank stern first.
A total of 10 people died when the Lac La Belle sank. There were 53 people aboard the ship. Eight people died when one of the lifeboats capsized during evacuation, and two crewmen—Chief Engineer James Evans and Steward Henry Rudd—died during the collision and sinking.[1]
Paul Ehorn searched for the Lac La Belle for approximately 57 years, beginning his search in 1965. He located the wreck in October 2022 with assistance from wreck hunter Ross Richardson, who provided a crucial clue that helped narrow the search area. Ehorn used side-scan sonar technology to locate the ship after just two hours of searching in the refined area.[2]
The Lac La Belle's hull remains **intact** and is sitting upright on the lake bottom approximately 25 feet deep. The ship's upper cabins have deteriorated and are gone, but the oak interior structures are preserved. The exterior of the wreck is heavily covered with quagga mussels, invasive freshwater mussels found in the Great Lakes.[2]
Between 600 and 1,500 shipwrecks are estimated to lie at the bottom of Lake Michigan. Overall, the Great Lakes contain an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 shipwrecks in total.[2]
