Wisconsin archaeologists are hailing a monumental discovery made by Tim Wollak and his 6-year-old daughter, Henley, as they stumbled upon the remains of a possible shipwreck that dates back more than 150 years. The find is believed to be a ship that ran aground during the deadly Peshtigo Fire, a devastating event in American history.

The remarkable discovery took place when Tim and Henley were fishing on Lake Michigan in the bay of Green Bay near Green Island in August. Using sonar technology, their fishing equipment captured images of an object that Henley initially mistook for an octopus, as reported by WLUK-TV. Intrigued by their finding, Wollak shared the sonar images on Facebook, which ultimately drew the attention of the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Action was swiftly taken as the society arranged for an underwater remote vehicle to survey the site on December 4. The findings of the survey confirmed that the object was indeed the wreckage of a three-masted sailing ship submerged in 8 to 10 feet of water. Archaeologists now believe that the ship may be the George L. Newman, a 122-foot-long vessel that met its fate during the Peshtigo Fire.

The Great Peshtigo Fire, regarded as the deadliest forest fire in U.S. history, occurred on October 8, 1871. On that fateful evening, the George L. Newman was navigating through thick smoke caused by the fire, carrying a cargo of lumber from Little Suamico. In the midst of these hazardous conditions, the ship grounded on the southeast point of Green Island. The historical society revealed that the crew was eventually rescued by the lighthouse keeper on the island, but the ship was left abandoned. Over the years, it became buried in sand, fading into obscurity.

Tim Wollak expressed his excitement about the incredible discovery, stating to WLUK, "I told her (Henley) I'm pretty sure there's no one else in her school that has ever found a shipwreck that nobody had recorded before... I guess we'll just have to fish more and see if we can find more shipwrecks."

The Peshtigo Fire claimed more than 1,200 lives and remains etched in history as one of the most devastating fires to ever ravage the United States. Survivor accounts reveal that railroad workers inadvertently ignited the inferno while clearing land for tracks. The fire spread rapidly, scorching between 1.2 million and 1.5 million acres. Crossing over the waters of Green Bay, it set fire to parts of Door and Kewaunee counties. In just an hour, the city of Peshtigo was engulfed along with sixteen other towns.

This recent shipwreck find adds to a growing list of notable discoveries in the Great Lakes region. Historians mention that over 6,000 ships have sunk in the Great Lakes since the late 1600s. Just three months ago, the wreckage of the Trinidad, a schooner that sank in Lake Michigan in 1881, was discovered miles away from Wisconsin's coastline, along with its crew's belongings. In Lake Superior, researchers searching for World War I-era minesweepers found a ship that disappeared in 1879, while in April, the wreckage of two ships lost in 1914 were found. Earlier this year, a coal-carrying ship that sank in 1891 during a storm was discovered, and in February, a 144-foot shipwreck known as the "Bad Luck Barquentine" was found in Lake Superior, over 150 years after it went down.

With each new find, these discoveries help shed light on the rich maritime history and the stories of tragedy that lie beneath the surface of the Great Lakes.