LAKE MICHIGAN—A debris field found by the Great Lakes Exploration Project group could be the remains of the long-lost Griffin, says Steve Libert.
According a June 24 Associated Press (AP) story, the debris field was found at the bottom of Lake Michigan and could be the remains of the long-lost Griffin, a vessel commanded by a 17th century French explorer.
Mr. Libert’s crew found the debris this month approximately 120 feet from the spot where they had removed a wooden slab in 2013 that had been protruding from the lake bottom. As reported previously, Mr. Libert and his crew believe the timber they found last year was the bowsprit of Rene-Robert Cavelieur, Sieur de La Salle’s ship, although scientists who joined the 2013 expedition say the slab was more likely an abandoned fishing net stake, AP reports.
Mr. Libert told the AP he is 99.9 percent sure this is the Griffin.
AP reported that Mr. Libert described the bottomland area as littered with wooden planks that could belong to a ship’s bow, along with nails and pegs that would have fastened the hull to the rest of the vessel and what appeared to be sections of a mast. He indicated his dive team had found no artifacts with markings identifying them as belonging to the Griffin. However, the nails and other implements appeared similar to those from La Belle, another of La Salle’s ships that sank near the Gulf of Mexico, Mr. Libert said.
He said his organization has sent images of the debris to three French underwater archaeologists who took part in last year’s search. They plan to seek state and federal permits to excavate in the area in September
