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Lake Erie Wreck Identified as 1868 Bark Clough Linked to 2024 Fatal Dive

A new museum micro exhibit explains how researchers confirmed the wreck’s identity.

Overview

  • The National Museum of the Great Lakes and Cleveland Underwater Explorers announced Feb. 18 that a Lake Erie shipwreck is the Clough, with the exact location withheld.
  • Researchers confirmed the identity after repeated site visits, detailed mapping, sonar work, and extensive archival research.
  • Built in Lorain in 1867 for quarry owner Baxter Clough of Amherst, the three‑masted bark measured 125 by 26.5 feet and sank Sept. 15, 1868 while carrying stone.
  • The site is associated with the June 1, 2024 death of CLUE founder David VanZandt during a dive, and the team completed the identification in his honor.
  • The museum opened “Beneath the Surface: CLUE, the Clough, and a Lasting Legacy” on Feb. 18 in Toledo, with the exhibit running through mid‑April.