Man dies during diving excursion near Split Rock Lighthouse

A man died during a diving excursion with others off the North Shore of Lake Superior, according to authorities.

The man died early Saturday afternoon while diving near the Madeira shipwreck, the Lake County Sheriff's Office said.

Emergency responders declared the man dead at the scene, just north of Split Rock Lighthouse, the Sheriff's Office said.

Authorities have not disclosed a cause of death or the diver's identity.

The sinking of the cargo ship Madeira during a storm in 1905 helped bring about the lighthouse. One of the crew climbed the cliffs with a rope and saved most of his shipmates.

The wreckage, which attracts divers by the hundreds every year, sits just off shore in relatively shallow water. On clear days, the remnants can be seen from the overhanging bluffs.

Paul Walsh