Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates found the ship in 2006 and conducted several dives to assess the wreck's condition.

[4] The ship was built as George H. Dyer by the firm of Wolf and Davidson in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The vessel had sprung a leak, and although the crew worked to save the ship, the pumps could not keep up with the volume of water coming in.

"[3] Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates members were searching for the wreck of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501 in 2006.

At first, they identified a small structure nicknamed a "rib cage", but more searching revealed a ship.

The conveyor belts and the A-frame crane structure were still in place and further identified the ship as Hennepin.