Wreck of 1872 Passenger Steamer Discovered in Lake Michigan

The long-lost Lac La Belle has been located off the Wisconsin shoreline after a decades-long search.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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After over 50 years of searching, a team of shipwreck hunters has finally located the wreck of the Lac La Belle, a 19th-century passenger steamer that sank in a storm in 1872 while traveling from Milwaukee to Grand Haven, Michigan. The 217-foot luxury vessel now rests intact on the lakebed, with its exterior covered in mussels but its interior oak woodwork still in good condition.

Why it matters

The discovery of the Lac La Belle wreck provides closure on a long-standing Great Lakes maritime mystery and offers a unique window into 19th-century steamship travel and the dangers faced by vessels on the treacherous waters of Lake Michigan.

The details

The Lac La Belle sank in October 1872 after taking on water and losing power in a fierce storm. Of the 53 passengers and crew on board, eight died when one of the lifeboats overturned near shore. The ship itself, which had already been raised and rebuilt once before after a previous sinking in 1866, now rests on the lakebed with its hull intact, though its cabins are gone.

  • The Lac La Belle sank on an October night in 1872.
  • The wreck was located by a team of shipwreck hunters in October 2022, after over 50 years of searching.
  • The discovery was not made public until last summer, when the team was able to gather enough video footage to build a 3D model of the wreck.

The players

Paul Ehorn

An 80-year-old veteran diver who has been hunting shipwrecks since his teens and has been chasing the trail of the Lac La Belle since 1965.

Ross Richardson

A fellow researcher and author who provided a tip in 2022 that sharply narrowed Ehorn's search grid, leading to the discovery of the wreck.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

The takeaway

The discovery of the Lac La Belle wreck is a significant achievement for the Great Lakes shipwreck hunting community, providing valuable insights into 19th-century maritime history and the challenges faced by vessels navigating the treacherous waters of Lake Michigan.