Researchers: Excavation of Lake Michigan shipwreck warranted

DETROIT — Researchers say they have enough evidence to partially excavate the site of a Lake Michigan shipwreck to determine if it's The Griffin, which sank loaded with furs in 1679.

The Detroit Free Press reports Monday that sonar scans and lake-bottom profiling showed something consistent with a vessel. Researcher Ken Vrana of the Center for Maritime and Underwater Resource Management says there's no “smoking gun,” but the site warrants excavation.

The next step would be for the groups involved to seek permits for the excavation. They are the state of Michigan, the maritime center and France, since the Griffin was a French ship.

Diver Steve Libert discovered the site in 2001. It hasn't been publicly disclosed but is believed to be between Escanaba and the St. Martin Islands, near Wisconsin.