A Long-Lost Great Lakes Vessel That Met A Tragic End Discovered In Lake Huron

Researchers have reportedly discovered a long-lost Great Lakes vessel that has come to a sudden and tragic end. The 191-foot vessel reportedly collided with a grain haulier in 1894 (September) on a blustery night, sinking both.

The captain of Ironton and six sailors reportedly clambered onto a lifeboat but were dragged to the bottom before they could detach it from the vessel.

Only two crewmen managed to survive. The gravesite has long been eluding shipwreck hunters.

Officials associated with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary based in Alpena, Michigan, mentioned that the mystery has finally been resolved.

The Associated Press has also obtained details of the discovery way ahead of the announcement. A team comprising historians, technicians, and underwater archaeologists located the wreckage back in 2019 and deployed remotely controlled cameras to scan and document it.

The sanctuary plans on revealing the location in the next few months and is also considering placing a mooring buoy at that site.

Officials have reportedly kept the find a secret to prevent divers from disturbing the site before photo and video documentation is finished.

Video footages reflect the Ironton placed upright on the lake’s bottom, about hundreds of feet below — preserved by the fresh, cold water like other Great Lakes shipwrecks.

No human beings’ remains were seen. However, the lifeboat remains tethered to the bigger vessel, confirming witness accounts from about 128 years back.

That lifeboat connects one to the site and makes one remember how powerful the lakes can be and what it has probably been to work on them and lose individuals on them, the Thunder Bay Superintendent Jeff Gray reported during an AP interview.

References: Economic Times, AP News, Times Of India