Valerie van Heest has written and directed several exciting documentary films about shipwrecks recently discovered in Lake Michigan off the shores of Western Michigan. Each documentary details the life, loss, search and discovery of a shipwreck that has unique role in our Great Lake’s maritime history. Two of Valerie's films have had debut showings at the prestigious Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, MI: "Icebound Found" and "She Died a Hard Death".

DOCUMENTARIES AVAILABLE IN DVD 19.95 each
Proceeds directed to MSRA to further the work of the organization

Special pricing available libraries - click to request order form

Wholesale pricing is available to retail businesses - click to request form

She Died a Hard Death- The Sinking of the Hennepin - 40 minutes
Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois/Assoc. Producer William Lafferty

When the tugboat Lotus moved slowly up the Grand River in Ferrysburg Michigan on the sultry evening of August 18, 1927, it was immediately apparent something was wrong. She had left the day prior towing the barge Hennepin and was returning without it. The Hennepin’s Captain Ole Hansen, who had taken refuge on the tug, shouted across to Construction Materials Corporation employees waiting at the Dock: “We lost her boys. She died a hard death.” Seventy-nine years later Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates discovered the ship that Hansen lost in 230’ of water off South Haven Michigan. Through research and diving this very pristine wreck, MSRA pieced together the true account of the sinking of this ship, told through historical reenactment, and placed this vessel in its’ proper historical content as the first self-unloading steamer, and one of the most significant vessels ever to sail the Great Lakes.

Planes Trains and Ships- The Discovery of the Ann Arbor No 5- 35 min.
Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois

When Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates (MSRA), nationally acclaimed author Clive Cussler, and his organization the National Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA), teamed up to search for Northwest Flight 2501, a DC-4 airliner that crashed on Lake Michigan in 1950, they made a surprising discovery. In 160 feet of water eight miles off South Haven lay the remains of a huge steel ship seemingly impaled into the lake bottom. Two immense props flanking the rudder at the stern seemed suspended in the water column. After several dives on the newly discovered site, MSRA was able to determine that the wreck had been a car ferry used to transport railroad cars across Lake Michigan. The problem with that conclusion was that the only car ferry used in that region of the lake had been cut up and scrapped after outliving its’ usefulness. No other car ferries were reported lost in that vicinity. Just how this vessel, the Ann Arbor No 5, ended up embedded on the lake bottom of after ferrying rail cars across Lake Michigan for six decades proved as much a mystery as the plane crash itself. Join MSRA as they dive the wreck, revisit the magnificent history of railroad car ferry service on the Great Lakes, and ultimately meet the man who was on the Ann Arbor No 5 when it sank!

Icebound Found! The Ordeal of the S.S. Michigan - 50 minutes
Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois

$19.95

"Difficulties are just things to overcome after all." This quote, made famous by Captain Ernest Shackleton when he and his crew of 27 returned from Antarctica safely six months after his ship Endurance sank, could certainly have been the sentiment of Captain Prindeville as a similar drama played out on the ice-encrusted Lake Michigan. In 1885 Prindeville and his 29-man crew on the S.S. Michigan became icebound off West Michigan during one of the worst winter storms in history. After 40 days their ship was crushed by the ice and sank, forcing them onto the ice-covered lake. With stamina and perseverance all 30 people made it safely to shore in this local tale of endurance! It would also take endurance for the members of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates to search for the sunken remains of this 200-foot steamer. Working with noted shipwreck explorer, David Trotter, the team to persisted over three years and 50 square miles to finally locate the wreck in deep water off Holland, Michigan. The multifaceted tale is told through a riveting and accurate historic reenactment, an unfolding search effort punctuated with highs and lows, and the camera lens of a technical diving team, as MSRA explores the intact remains of this historic vessel, 275 beneath Lake Michigan, and learns first-hand just how difficulties can be overcome.

The Disappearance of Flight 2501 - 50 minutes

Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois

$19.95

55 years ago, on the evening of June 23, 1950, Northwest Airlines Flight 2501 took off from LaGuardia airport for a stopover in Minneapolis en route to Seattle. As Captain Robert Lind passed over Battle Creek, MI preparing for the Lake Michigan crossing, his radio request for an altitude drop in hopes of avoiding the turbulence of a thunderstorm over the lake was denied. That transmission was the last that was heard from the DC-4. The next morning scattered airplane debris and human remains floating in Lake Michigan confirmed the tragedy -- the plane and all 58 persons aboard was gone, making this the worst passenger aviation disaster of its time. Since 2001, members of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates have been interested in locating the remains of Flight 2501 in hopes of solving the mystery of why the airplane crashed. Halfway across the nation, Clive Cussler, the author of the non-fiction “Sea Hunters” series, the Dirk Pitt and Kurt Austin adventures, and the force behind the discovery of the Confederate submarine Hunley, was also interested in finding the DC-4. His call to members of MSRA marked his National Underwater Marine Agency’s first project in the Great Lakes. This documentary details the tragedy of Flight 2501 as well as the NUMA/MSRA 2004 joint expedition to find the scattered remains of this DC-4.

Mystery Wreck at 40 Fathoms - 25 minutes
Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois

$19.95
In the spring of 2004, Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates set out on its 7^th annual quest for shipwrecks off the shores of West Michigan with the help of side scan expert David Trotter. During their first 24-hour survey, the team discovered a 200-foot long, 30-foot wide target in deep water off Holland, Michigan. The area in which this wreck was located was not only prime territory for the steamer SS Michigan, but also along the route of the long-lost Andaste and the Alpena. Detailed side scan pictures, however, revealed an image that did not match any of the known shipwrecks in the area. Just what had MSRA discovered on the bottom of Lake Michigan? This documentary details the efforts by members of MSRA to research all the potential vessels that could have been lost off Michigan shores, the eventual identification of the wreck, and the exploration of the site by affiliated technical SCUBA divers. As West Michigan’s first major shipwreck discovery since MSRA’s discovery and documentation of the H.C. Akeley in 2001, this wreck will prove to be an excellent technical diving training site in the years to come.

The Discovery of the Shipwreck H.C. Akeley - 50 minutes

Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois

On a cold and stormy morning in October 1883, 18 crewmen aboard a Grand Haven built cargo steamer heading from Chicago to Buffalo with a load of corn, struggled to save their lives and their ship and a foundering tugboat. Each man, while faced with his own mortality, was forced to make a fateful decision. Twelve men lived to tell the tale of tragic storm and six men went to their watery graves with their ship the H. C. Akeley Over a century after this disaster, local explorers, Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates, in pursuit of lost shipwrecks off the shores of West Michigan discovered a wreck in 275 feet of water, 15 miles off Saugatuck, Michigan. After more than a year of challenging survey and documentation supported by a grant from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Foundation, MSRA determined that the wreck was not the long lost Chicora as they had presumed, but instead the H.C. Akeley. This documentary details the efforts taken to research and discover lost shipwrecks and the challenges of deep-water shipwreck identification and documentation. The history of the Akeley’s construction, service record, and the significant individuals and companies that were involved in its life is explored. Through the first video images acquired of this very deep shipwreck shot by scuba divers and remote operated vehicles, MSRA tells the tale of what happened to those 18 crewmembers in the final, fateful moments aboard this doomed vessel.

A Piece of a Ship - 4 minutes

Produced by Valerie Olson van Heest and Jack van Heest

John Francis’s classic poem, “A Piece of a Ship” comes alive with dramatic photographs and moving music.



Home Biography Exhibit Design Associates Contact Current Project: NW Flight 2501 Valerie van Heest has written and directed several exciting documentary films about shipwrecks recently discovered in Lake Michigan off the shores of Western Michigan. Each documentary details the life, loss, search and discovery of a shipwreck that has unique role in our Great Lake’s maritime history. Two of Valerie's films have had debut showings at the prestigious Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, MI: "Icebound Found" and "She Died a Hard Death". DOCUMENTARIES AVAILABLE IN DVD 19.95 each Proceeds directed to MSRA to further the work of the organization Special pricing available libraries - click to request order form Wholesale pricing is available to retail businesses - click to request form She Died a Hard Death- The Sinking of the Hennepin - 40 minutes Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois/Assoc. Producer William Lafferty $19.95 When the tugboat Lotus moved slowly up the Grand River in Ferrysburg Michigan on the sultry evening of August 18, 1927, it was immediately apparent something was wrong. She had left the day prior towing the barge Hennepin and was returning without it. The Hennepin’s Captain Ole Hansen, who had taken refuge on the tug, shouted across to Construction Materials Corporation employees waiting at the Dock: “We lost her boys. She died a hard death.” Seventy-nine years later Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates discovered the ship that Hansen lost in 230’ of water off South Haven Michigan. Through research and diving this very pristine wreck, MSRA pieced together the true account of the sinking of this ship, told through historical reenactment, and placed this vessel in its’ proper historical content as the first self-unloading steamer, and one of the most significant vessels ever to sail the Great Lakes. Planes Trains and Ships- The Discovery of the Ann Arbor No 5- 35 min. Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois $19.95 When Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates (MSRA), nationally acclaimed author Clive Cussler, and his organization the National Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA), teamed up to search for Northwest Flight 2501, a DC-4 airliner that crashed on Lake Michigan in 1950, they made a surprising discovery. In 160 feet of water eight miles off South Haven lay the remains of a huge steel ship seemingly impaled into the lake bottom. Two immense props flanking the rudder at the stern seemed suspended in the water column. After several dives on the newly discovered site, MSRA was able to determine that the wreck had been a car ferry used to transport railroad cars across Lake Michigan. The problem with that conclusion was that the only car ferry used in that region of the lake had been cut up and scrapped after outliving its’ usefulness. No other car ferries were reported lost in that vicinity. Just how this vessel, the Ann Arbor No 5, ended up embedded on the lake bottom of after ferrying rail cars across Lake Michigan for six decades proved as much a mystery as the plane crash itself. Join MSRA as they dive the wreck, revisit the magnificent history of railroad car ferry service on the Great Lakes, and ultimately meet the man who was on the Ann Arbor No 5 when it sank! Icebound Found! The Ordeal of the S.S. Michigan - 50 minutes Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois $19.95 "Difficulties are just things to overcome after all." This quote, made famous by Captain Ernest Shackleton when he and his crew of 27 returned from Antarctica safely six months after his ship Endurance sank, could certainly have been the sentiment of Captain Prindeville as a similar drama played out on the ice-encrusted Lake Michigan. In 1885 Prindeville and his 29-man crew on the S.S. Michigan became icebound off West Michigan during one of the worst winter storms in history. After 40 days their ship was crushed by the ice and sank, forcing them onto the ice-covered lake. With stamina and perseverance all 30 people made it safely to shore in this local tale of endurance! It would also take endurance for the members of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates to search for the sunken remains of this 200-foot steamer. Working with noted shipwreck explorer, David Trotter, the team to persisted over three years and 50 square miles to finally locate the wreck in deep water off Holland, Michigan. The multifaceted tale is told through a riveting and accurate historic reenactment, an unfolding search effort punctuated with highs and lows, and the camera lens of a technical diving team, as MSRA explores the intact remains of this historic vessel, 275 beneath Lake Michigan, and learns first-hand just how difficulties can be overcome. The Disappearance of Flight 2501 - 50 minutes Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois $19.95 55 years ago, on the evening of June 23, 1950, Northwest Airlines Flight 2501 took off from LaGuardia airport for a stopover in Minneapolis en route to Seattle. As Captain Robert Lind passed over Battle Creek, MI preparing for the Lake Michigan crossing, his radio request for an altitude drop in hopes of avoiding the turbulence of a thunderstorm over the lake was denied. That transmission was the last that was heard from the DC-4. The next morning scattered airplane debris and human remains floating in Lake Michigan confirmed the tragedy -- the plane and all 58 persons aboard was gone, making this the worst passenger aviation disaster of its time. Since 2001, members of Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates have been interested in locating the remains of Flight 2501 in hopes of solving the mystery of why the airplane crashed. Halfway across the nation, Clive Cussler, the author of the non-fiction “Sea Hunters” series, the Dirk Pitt and Kurt Austin adventures, and the force behind the discovery of the Confederate submarine Hunley, was also interested in finding the DC-4. His call to members of MSRA marked his National Underwater Marine Agency’s first project in the Great Lakes. This documentary details the tragedy of Flight 2501 as well as the NUMA/MSRA 2004 joint expedition to find the scattered remains of this DC-4. Mystery Wreck at 40 Fathoms - 25 minutes Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois $19.95 In the spring of 2004, Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates set out on its 7^th annual quest for shipwrecks off the shores of West Michigan with the help of side scan expert David Trotter. During their first 24-hour survey, the team discovered a 200-foot long, 30-foot wide target in deep water off Holland, Michigan. The area in which this wreck was located was not only prime territory for the steamer SS Michigan, but also along the route of the long-lost Andaste and the Alpena. Detailed side scan pictures, however, revealed an image that did not match any of the known shipwrecks in the area. Just what had MSRA discovered on the bottom of Lake Michigan? This documentary details the efforts by members of MSRA to research all the potential vessels that could have been lost off Michigan shores, the eventual identification of the wreck, and the exploration of the site by affiliated technical SCUBA divers. As West Michigan’s first major shipwreck discovery since MSRA’s discovery and documentation of the H.C. Akeley in 2001, this wreck will prove to be an excellent technical diving training site in the years to come. The Discovery of the Shipwreck H.C. Akeley - 50 minutes Written and Directed by Valerie Olson van Heest/Produced by Robert Gadbois $19.95 On a cold and stormy morning in October 1883, 18 crewmen aboard a Grand Haven built cargo steamer heading from Chicago to Buffalo with a load of corn, struggled to save their lives and their ship and a foundering tugboat. Each man, while faced with his own mortality, was forced to make a fateful decision. Twelve men lived to tell the tale of tragic storm and six men went to their watery graves with their ship the H. C. Akeley Over a century after this disaster, local explorers, Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates, in pursuit of lost shipwrecks off the shores of West Michigan discovered a wreck in 275 feet of water, 15 miles off Saugatuck, Michigan. After more than a year of challenging survey and documentation supported by a grant from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Research Foundation, MSRA determined that the wreck was not the long lost Chicora as they had presumed, but instead the H.C. Akeley. This documentary details the efforts taken to research and discover lost shipwrecks and the challenges of deep-water shipwreck identification and documentation. The history of the Akeley’s construction, service record, and the significant individuals and companies that were involved in its life is explored. Through the first video images acquired of this very deep shipwreck shot by scuba divers and remote operated vehicles, MSRA tells the tale of what happened to those 18 crewmembers in the final, fateful moments aboard this doomed vessel. A Piece of a Ship - 4 minutes Produced by Valerie Olson van Heest and Jack van Heest $12.95 John Francis’s classic poem, “A Piece of a Ship” comes alive with dramatic photographs and moving music.