A scuba diver named John Janzen vividly recalls the moment he realized that the sunken wreck in front of him was the Lac La Belle. Janzen, in an interview with the show “As It Happens,” described the distinctive arches along the ship’s length as a key identifying feature that led them to the conclusion about the wreck’s identity.
The search for the 19th-century luxury steamer, which sank in a Lake Michigan storm in 1872, was spearheaded by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn and his team. After years of searching, the wreck was finally located in October 2022. The announcement was made by Shipwreck World, a group focused on discovering historic wrecks worldwide.
The discovery, which marked the end of a quest that began over 60 years ago, was made possible by a breakthrough in 2022. Ehorn, now 80, received a crucial clue from fellow wreck hunter Ross Richardson, leading to the narrowing down of the search area. With this new information, Ehorn successfully located the ship using side-scan sonar just two hours into their expedition on Lake Michigan.
The Lac La Belle, a 217-foot steamer built in 1864 in Cleveland, had a tumultuous history of sinking and resurrection. It sank in the St. Clair River in 1866 but was raised, refurbished, and set sail again in 1872. However, tragedy struck when the ship began taking on water during a voyage from Milwaukee to Grand Haven. The vessel eventually sank, with passengers and crew escaping on lifeboats, albeit with the loss of eight lives.
Today, the wreck of Lac La Belle lies upright on the lakebed, covered in quagga mussels. Despite the external damage, the vessel remains relatively well-preserved. Divers exploring the wreck found remnants of its cargo, including whiskey barrels that had started to deteriorate.
The Great Lakes region is known for its numerous shipwrecks, with an estimated 6,000 to 10,000 wrecks lying undiscovered beneath the waters. Concerns about invasive species like quagga mussels damaging these wrecks have spurred efforts to locate and document them. Janzen expressed hope for future shipwreck searches, especially with Ehorn, who remains active in the field at 80 years old.
Reflecting on the lore of the cursed Lac La Belle, Janzen dismissed the notion of a supernatural curse and instead emphasized the harsh and unpredictable nature of the Great Lakes. He highlighted the unforgiving environment of the lakes, where human lives and vessels are at the mercy of nature’s raw power, making it a perilous place for maritime endeavors.
