VERY holy water: Hundreds flock to a frozen Lake Michigan to see an underwater, 11ft marble crucifix with Jesus

VERY holy water: Hundreds flock to a frozen Lake Michigan to see an underwater, 11ft marble crucifix with Jesus on that is visible for the first time in four years because of the extreme cold

An estimated 1,200 sightseers saw a giant crucifix statue of Christ at the bottom of Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan for the first time since 2015 on Saturday
Severe weather prevented anyone from seeing the statue for the last four years
Workers cut a hole in Lake Michigan’s icy surface so the revelers could look into the water and see the statue
The 11ft. marble crucifix weighs 1,850 lbs and features a 5’5″ statue of Christ
It was made in Italy 1956 after being commissioned by a family mourning the loss of their 15-year-old son
It’s regarded as a shrine honoring people who have died on the water

PUBLISHED: 02:58 EDT, 12 March 2019 | UPDATED: 12:18 EDT, 12 March 2019

Hundreds of people traveled to the small northern Michigan town of Petoskey for the chance of catching a glimpse of a rare sight – a life-sized statue of Jesus Christ on the cross submerged in Lake Michigan.

Severe weather has prevented anyone from seeing the 11-ft., 1,850 lb. religious symbol made of marble since 2015, when a record-sized crowd of 2,021 people stood in line for hours in frigid temperatures to see it.

There was no guarantee visitors would get to see the cross this year, but this time, their prayers were answered.

Lake Michigan is currently frozen and workers had to cut a hole through the ice on Saturday so that an estimated 1,200 sightseers could see the giant Jesus submerged under the water.

Hundreds of people traveled to the northern Michigan town of Petoskey to see the crucifix

Stunning video of underwater crucifix in frozen Lake Michigan

Severe weather has prevented anyone from seeing the statue for the last four years

It is believed to be the only statue of its kind in the world that is submerged in freshwater

An estimated 1,200 sightseers traveled to Little Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan

There was no guarantee visitors would get to see the cross but their prayers were answered

Workers cut a hole in Lake Michigan’s icy surface so the revelers could look into the water the colossal crucifix features a 5’5″ sculpture of Christ on the cross. It is believed to be the only statue of its kind in the world that is submerged in freshwater.

The sculpture is located about 1,200 feet from the shore at the bottom of Little Traverse Bay, which has a maximum depth of 151 feet.

The story of how the statue got there is as fascinating and tragic as the spectacle itself.

According to Inside Edition, the crucifix was made in Italy, commissioned by the family of a 15-year-old boy who died in a farm accident near Bad Axe, Michigan in 1956.

The crowds pictured waiting for their chance to see the 11ft. marble crucifix

Severe weather has prevented anyone from seeing the statue for the last four years

The sculpture is located about 1,200 feet from the shore at the bottom of Little Traverse Bay

Locals regard the submerged statue as a shrine honoring people who have died on the water

It was made in Italy 1956 after being commissioned by a family mourning the loss of their son The first public viewing of the idol was took place in 1986. People ‘enter at their own risk’

One diver said the experience is ‘an emotional thing for a lot of people’

But the unnamed family received word that the statue had been damaged and demanded a new one.

The one they discarded was later purchased by a local diving club member, who had it

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placed at the bottom of Lake Michigan in remembrance of a diver who drowned in nearby Torch Lake, Michigan.

Since then, the statue has become a shrine to honor those who have died on the water. The first public viewing of the idol was took place in 1986.

Dennis Jessick told The Detroit Free Press: ‘You can see when they look down in there, (and) when you talk to them and they don’t answer you — it’s a special time for these people. It’s an emotional thing for a lot of people.

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