Group reports finding shipwreck in Lake Michigan

HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) — An organization that documents shipwrecks says it’s found the wreck of a 60-foot, single-masted sloop in Lake Michigan that may date back to the 1830s.

Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates announced this week that it discovered the wreck off southwestern Michigan in water about 250 feet deep between Saugatuck and South Haven. The group made the discovery while working with author Clive Cussler and his sonar operator Ralph Wilbanks of the National Underwater & Marine Agency.

Holland-based Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates says the vessel sits upright and is in relatively good condition. The group says the sloop’s construction and design are consistent with ships built in the 1820s and 1830s.

Video of the wreck is expected to be shown April 16 at an event in Holland.