Shipwreck Hunter Discovers 150-Year-Old Luxury Steamer in Lake Michigan

The Lac La Belle, a luxury steamer that sank in 1872, was found 20 miles offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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After a nearly 60-year search, shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn and his team have discovered the wreck of the Lac La Belle, a luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872. The 217-foot ship was heading from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan, when it encountered a fierce gale and sank, resulting in the loss of 8 lives. Ehorn used a clue from a fellow wreck hunter to narrow down the search area and located the well-preserved wreck using side-scan sonar.

Why it matters

The discovery of the Lac La Belle wreck provides insight into Great Lakes maritime history and highlights the ongoing efforts of shipwreck hunters to uncover the thousands of undiscovered wrecks that lie beneath the waters of the Great Lakes. As invasive quagga mussels continue to threaten the preservation of these historical artifacts, the race is on to locate and document as many wrecks as possible.

The details

The Lac La Belle was a 217-foot luxury steamer built in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio. It had previously sunk in the St. Clair River in 1866 but was raised and reconditioned. On October 13, 1872, the ship was heading from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan, when it encountered a fierce gale and began taking on water. The captain tried to turn the ship back to Milwaukee, but the storm drove it south and the ship eventually sank stern-first around 5 a.m. One of the lifeboats capsized, resulting in 8 fatalities, while the other lifeboats made it to shore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin.

  • The Lac La Belle was built in 1864 in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • The ship sank in the St. Clair River in 1866 but was later raised and reconditioned.
  • The ship sank in Lake Michigan on October 13, 1872 during a fierce gale.
  • Shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn has been searching for the Lac La Belle since 1965.
  • Ehorn and his team discovered the wreck in October 2022, nearly 60 years after he began his search.

The players

Paul Ehorn

An 80-year-old shipwreck hunter who has been searching for the Lac La Belle since 1965 and led the team that discovered the wreck in 2022.

Ross Richardson

A fellow wreck hunter and author who provided Ehorn with a clue that helped him narrow down the search area and ultimately locate the Lac La Belle.

Lac La Belle

A 217-foot luxury steamer that sank in Lake Michigan in 1872 while traveling from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan.

Shipwreck World

A group that works to locate shipwrecks around the globe and announced the discovery of the Lac La Belle wreck.

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What they’re saying

“It's kind of a game, like solve the puzzle. Sometimes you don't have many pieces to put the puzzle together but this one worked out and we found it right away.”

— Paul Ehorn, Shipwreck Hunter (Associated Press)

“The information could alert searchers to another way to conduct research.”

— Ross Richardson, Wreck Hunter and Author (Associated Press)

What’s next

Ehorn and his team plan to return to the wreck site this summer to capture additional 3D video footage of the well-preserved Lac La Belle wreck.

The takeaway

The discovery of the Lac La Belle highlights the ongoing efforts of dedicated shipwreck hunters to uncover the thousands of undiscovered wrecks in the Great Lakes, even decades after first beginning their search. As invasive species threaten the preservation of these historical artifacts, the race is on to document as many wrecks as possible before they are lost forever.