Pere Marquette 18 Video Footage Information

The Pere Marquette 18 is a railroad ferry that sank in 1910 with the loss of 28 lives. Today, she lies on the bottom of Lake Michigan approximately 500 feet down. Exactly why she sank has always been a mystery. The accounts of the disaster are heartbreaking and detailed due to the number of survivors and witnesses in the rescue ships. 

These factors all combine to make this one of the most famous shipwrecks in Lake Michigan spurring numerous efforts to locate her. She was finally found in 2020. Since then we’ve had to rely on video footage sent back from drop cameras. Those images and videos were compelling, but I thought the wreck deserved more. 

Last summer, I had the opportunity to work with archeologists and historians to record what would turn out to be the most comprehensive footage available of the shipwreck. You can read a bit more detailed story about finding and filming the ship in this blog. 

Filming a shipwreck comes with risk, too. On this expedition, I nearly lost my ROV! 

Getting a good look at the Pere Marquette 18 was on my bucket list. Depth, distance from shore, and water conditions made this a big challenge. But I knew I wanted to bring back footage that would show the size of the ship and the violence of the wreck. 

I think I managed to do that. From the mangled remains of the deck to the stern of the ship wedged and disappearing into the clay, the destructive forces of a shipwreck were on display. 

This footage was first released to my Facebook subscribers and then to all of my followers on Social Media. But the PM 18 deserves to be remembered, and because of this, I wanted to give the footage a home o on the internet.  

I hope you enjoy this video footage of the Pere Marquette 18, nearly 500 feet below the surface.