Sunken casino riverboat revealed by low water levels of Mississippi River

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC/Gray News) - Ever since the Mighty Mississippi River reduced to a trickle of its former self, it’s revealed a plethora of lost wonders. The latest find is an old casino riverboat.

The Diamond Lady took its maiden voyage in the early 1990s, according to Captain William Lozier, President of Memphis Riverboats.

He told WMC it operated as a floating casino a few years later but was taken out of commission in favor of a larger vessel around 1999.

Lozier said the vessel was moved to Riverside Park Marina, but winter storms proved too much for the riverboat, and she succumbed to the Mighty Mississippi in 2021.

Receding waters have revived interest in the Diamond Lady, which can now be seen from hull to mast.

Claire and Lucy Smith, along with their brother, were only a few of the groups who have made the muddy hike through the receded banks to pay respects to the old Lady.

“We just thought it’d be fun,” Claire Smith said. “And it’s so, so cool.”

Lucy Smith said she’s on the hunt for some other treasures the Mississippi River might reveal as waters stay at record-low levels.

“Things like this might reveal bones ... or maybe even unsolved murders,” Lucy Smith said. “But you really do get to look at all the rich history of the Mississippi.”

The riverboat isn’t the only lost relic recovered during the river’s historic low water levels. In early October, a treasure hunter in Louisiana found a 100-year-old ferry boat while exploring the riverbanks.

Water levels have risen over the weekend, but aren’t expected to get back to normal just yet.

As the levels continue to rise and fall, there’s no telling what other secrets will be revealed under the black, murky waters of the Mississippi River.

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