80-Year-Old Diver Finds Shipwreck After 60-Year Search

An 80-year-old shipwreck hunter just proved that some dreams are worth chasing for a lifetime.

Paul Ehorn became a certified scuba diver at 15 and immediately set his sights on finding the Lac La Belle, one of Lake Michigan's most mysterious missing ships. For 60 years, he searched the waters off Wisconsin's coast, never giving up hope.

The luxury passenger steamer disappeared on a stormy October night in 1872 during its regular route between Milwaukee and Grand Haven, Michigan. It carried 53 passengers and crew, along with tons of barley, flour, pork, and whiskey.

Two hours into the voyage, the ship sprang a leak and turned back toward Milwaukee. But the storm intensified, and massive waves extinguished the boiler fires, leaving the vessel powerless.

The captain ordered everyone into lifeboats in the early morning darkness. They watched helplessly as the Lac La Belle sank stern-first into Lake Michigan. One lifeboat capsized in the relentless rain, and eight people drowned before rescuers could reach them.

In 2022, Ehorn got the break he'd been waiting for. A commercial fisherman snagged an artifact specific to 19th-century steamships, giving maritime historians a crucial clue about where to search.

Using sidescan sonar technology, Ehorn and his partner Bruce Bittner surveyed the new location in October 2022, almost exactly 150 years after the wreck. Within just two hours, they spotted the 217-foot steamer's distinctive arched design sitting on the lake floor, 20 miles offshore.

Hired divers explored the site and found the vessel remarkably intact despite the violent storm that sank it. The hull stood upright, preserved by Lake Michigan's cold, fresh water.

Why This Inspires

Ehorn now has 15 shipwreck discoveries to his name, but this one meant something special. As a woodworker himself, he appreciated the hand craftsmanship of these early vessels. "The Lac La Belle was close to home for me and is a wreck that's always been on my radar," he said.

He waited three years to announce the discovery, spending that time creating a detailed 3D video model of the wreckage. Poor weather and the ship's remote location made it difficult for divers to return until last summer.

"I anticipated searching for a few weeks," Ehorn told reporters. "I got lucky and had a lot of research."

At March's Ghost Ships Festival in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Ehorn will present his findings to fellow nautical archaeology enthusiasts. But he's already looking ahead to his next challenge, proving that passion doesn't retire just because you turn 80.