When the renowned AuSable River Queen sank unexpectedly on March 11, owners Laurie and Roger Rice said they were left baffled and devastated. Two weeks later, the cause of the sinking remains unclear.
The AuSable River Queen sank on March 11, 2025. It took two days to extract it from Foote Pond, according to its owners. The boat suffered severe damage, but the cause of the sudden sinking is still unknown.
The AuSable River Queen is a double-decker paddlewheel riverboat in northeast Michigan that has been a tourist attraction in the Oscoda/Ausable area since 1966. Since then, except for 2024, it has offered scenic tours along the AuSable River each summer — with live music and bar service.
“When it sank the Tuesday before last, we thought for sure there was going to be a big gaping hole on that starboard side when we pulled out,” Laurie told the Free Press. “But there was nothing; no damage to the hull. … We couldn’t understand how, because it went down so quickly, within an hour.”
Laurie and Roger have owned and maintained the riverboat for 13 years. Laurie, however, has been involved with the boat much longer, having worked for her mother, who owned it for 17 years after purchasing it in the 1970s.
More: Oscoda’s historic paddlewheel riverboat AuSable River Queen sinks
Laurie said the boat appeared fine when her daughter passed by around 8:30 p.m. on March 11. However, by 9:30 p.m., while Laurie and Roger were driving to a family member’s birthday party, the boat was visibly sinking.
“This has never happened,” Laurie said. “In 60 years, it has never sank.”
The AuSable River Queen sank on March 11, 2025. It took two days to extract it from Foote Pond, according to its owners. The boat suffered severe damage, but the cause of the sudden sinking is still unknown.
It took state and township agencies, along with independent businesses, two days to extract the AuSable River Queen from Foote Pond, where it docks. The boat was successfully removed on March 20 and now sits on dry land near the water.
The AuSable River Queen sank on March 11, 2025. It took two days to extract it from Foote Pond, according to its owners. The boat suffered severe damage, but the cause of the sudden sinking is still unknown.
When it emerged from the water, Laurie said the double-decker was in one piece but looked “war-torn.” The front starboard side had wood damage, the upper deck was battered, chairs and other items were displaced, engine connections were disrupted, and gas lines were dislodged.
The AuSable River Queen sank on March 11, 2025. It took two days to extract it from Foote Pond, according to its owners. The boat suffered severe damage, but the cause of the sudden sinking is still unknown.
On March 20, Oscoda Township ordered the removal of the riverboat within 14 days, citing concerns over blight. The township’s interim superintendent, Thomas Chatel, confirmed the order.
Chatel called the order a “technical protocol” due to public safety concerns about the vessel being on shore and potentially attracting attention. He said the township is working cooperatively with the boat’s owners and wants the boat removed as soon as possible.
While Laurie said the boat is vital to their livelihood, she added that they have struggled to pay off the costs of its extraction, which has also prevented them from getting it inspected to determine why it sank and making the necessary repairs.
The AuSable River Queen sank on March 11, 2025. It took two days to extract it from Foote Pond, according to its owners. The boat suffered severe damage, but the cause of the sudden sinking is still unknown.
“They want us to move it out of there, but we don’t necessarily want to move it out of there because it’s going to take a lot,” she said. “We got to take the whole top half of the boat off and travel down the road; it’s going to be quite expensive. So we’re trying to see what we can do to make it a historic site, like it should be, so we could restore and keep it running there.”
If the AuSable River Queen can be designated as a historic site, Laurie said it will help preserve it and alleviate some of the costs associated with repairs and maintenance.
However, Chatel said the boat’s owners have not communicated to the township that they are working to get the boat recognized as a historic site.
While the boat’s future remains uncertain, Laurie remains determined to restore it and keep it alive.
“The AuSable River Queen doesn’t belong to me,” Laurie said. “I’m like a lighthouse keeper. It belongs to the community. Pretty much nobody in the area wants to see it gone.”
Nour Rahal is a trending and breaking news reporter. Email her: nrahal@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @nrahal1.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: AuSable River Queen owners baffled by sinking, face restoration costs
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