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Lake Erie Shipwreck Identified in Area Where Explorer Died in Diving Accident
The Clough, a three-masted stone-hauling vessel that sank in 1868, was identified after careful research and dives, honoring the legacy of CLUE founder David VanZandt.
- On Feb. 13, Shipwreck World announced that Paul Ehorn identified the Lac La Belle in October 2022 using sidescan sonar, revealing the 217-foot vessel.
- On October 13, 1872, Lac La Belle left Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for Grand Haven, Michigan, with 53 passengers and crew, but roughly two hours in it sprang a leak, forcing lifeboat evacuations where one capsized and eight drowned.
- A tip from a commercial fisherman led maritime historian Ross Richardson to narrow the search area, and using sidescan sonar in October 2022, Paul Ehorn and Bruce Bittner identified the 217-foot hull in two hours before hired scuba divers inspected the site.
- After more than three years, the team delayed public disclosure while developing a 3D model, with Ehorn set to present at the Ghost Ships Festival in March.
- Despite quagga mussels coating its exterior, the ship remains in very good condition, with the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Wisconsin Water Library noting 6,000 to 10,000 undiscovered wrecks in the Great Lakes, increasing the importance of identification efforts.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Lake Erie shipwreck identified as 1867 Lorain-built vessel Clough
CLEVELAND — A newly discovered Lake Erie shipwreck has been confirmed as the Clough, a 125-foot stone-hauling vessel built in Lorain in 1867 that sank just one year later during the height of Great Lakes commerce.
Groups Identify Wreck Found Near Site of Diver's Death
Shipwreck hunters on Lake Erie have put a name to a wreck—and it's one tied to their own loss. The National Museum of the Great Lakes and Cleveland Underwater Explorers announced Wednesday that a sunken three-masted stone carrier found off Ohio has been identified as the Clough, a sailing...
Wreck of 19th-century luxury steamer found in Lake Michigan
Scuba diver John Janzen still remembers the moment it clicked that the shipwreck before him was indeed the Lac La Belle. Janzen is part of a team led by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn that located the luxury steamer, which sank in a Lake Michigan gale in the late 19th century.
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