154-year-old shipwreck rests under 8 feet of water on Lake Huron reef

OSSINEKE, MI – This double-masted schooner ran aground on a reef in Lake Huron 154 years ago when its crew was running for shore due to a leak, records show.

The Alvin Buckingham now rests under eight feet of water about 1.2 miles offshore between Ossineke and Black River in NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, records show.

RELATED: The wreck rests upright, intact under 135 feet of water in Lake Huron

On Oct. 19, 1870, the schooner was carrying a cargo of iron ore when it sprang a leak near Harrisville, records show. To save the ship, the crew made a desperate run for shore, but ran aground on a rocky reef in eight feet of water.

The crew abandoned ship and were rescued by a passing steamer, according to records.

In time, the wind and waves of the Great Lake broke the ship apart. It now rests at GPS coordinates N44°50.459′ W83°17.123′.

RELATED: Crew members floated in Lake Huron on pieces of deck for 36 hours after 1872 shipwreck

The hull is fairly intact, and its proximity to shore and shallow clear water make it a popular spot for divers, snorkelers and paddlers to explore, according to the marine sanctuary.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, designated in 2000, is a 4,300-acre preserve that protects more than 100 historic shipwrecks on Lake Huron on the Michigan coast. It was the first marine sanctuary in the Great Lakes. Wrecks are available for recreational activities including scuba diving, snorkeling, and paddling.