© 2024 WXPR
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Shipwreck hunter shares tales of mystery and adventure at Rhinelander District Library

Ross Richardson/Rhinelander District Library

Equipped with the latest mapping software and underwater robots, Ross Richardson has struck gold at the bottom of Lake Michigan – literally.

Through his work as a shipwreck hunter, Richardson has uncovered treasure chests filled with $10,000 worth of gold coins and whiskey.

He has also discovered one of the best-preserved shipwrecks from the 1800s on the planet.

“It’s in amazing state of preservation,” he says.

Ross Richardson/Rhinelander District Library

To find the shipwrecks, Richardson researches ships that never reached their final destination.

Then he uses his high-tech equipment to uncover the wreck sites, document them with underwater photography and videos, and share his findings with the public.

“There’s just a ton of history sitting on the bottom of our lakes and I’m lucking enough to be able to go out and find, and share some of that history,” he says.

He’s doing exactly that this evening at the Rhinelander District Library.

Richardson will be giving a presentation at 6 p.m. called Manitou Mysteries Shipwreck Adventure. It will be full of historical documents and pictures of the sunken ships.

Tickets are free and available at the front desk of the library.

Erin Gottsacker worked at WXPR as a Morning Edition host and reporter from December 2020 to January 2023. During her time at the station, Erin reported on the issues that matter most in the Northwoods.
Up North Updates
* indicates required
Related Content