Diver Dirk Kann found in Lake Michigan ten years after missing… well preserved and mummified by his diving suit

The body of a diver missing for more than a decade has been found in the waters of Lake Michigan with his diving suit still on.

Dirk Kann of Guttenberg, Iowa, disappeared in September 1999 after trying to explore a popular shipwreck 225ft below the surface.

The 52-year-old's remains were found in Whitefish Bay on Saturday, the Door County sheriff's department confirmed.

'He still had his diving gear on, in fact,' Sheriff Terry Vogel said.

Found: Dirk Kann of Guttenberg, Iowa, disappeared in September 1999 after trying to explore a popular shipwreck 225ft below the surface. He is pictured at right beside his daughter Susan

Tragedy: The 52-year-old's remains were found in Whitefish Bay on Saturday near the Lakeland, pictured, an iron steamer loaded with new cars lost off Sturgeon Bay in 1924

Sheriff Vogel told Fox 11 Online that two experienced divers found the remains while also exploring the wreck of a boat called the Lakeland.

Officials say Mr Kann disappeared while diving with friends on September 4, 1999. Since then several attempts have been made to recover his body.

'We made numerous attempts through the years to try to recover him with technological advancements. We used some of that to go down there, but his remains weren't found until Saturday,' Sheriff Vogel said.

Authorities say Mr Kann's body was recovered near the wreck which sits about seven miles east of the Sturgeon Bay canal in more than 200ft of water.

It's unique because the original cargo of early 20th century cars is still visible. That makes it a popular diving destination, but only for experienced divers.

'That particular shipwreck is what we call a technical dive,' explained diver and owner of Green Bay Scuba Alan Pahnke.

'When it's so deep, you need much more training to go down there than a normal sport diver would.'

Mr Pahnke told Fox 11 Online that the water temperature at that depth is around 2.2C (36F). He said the conditions would preserve a body for a long time.

'Because of the pressure and the depth it's at, there's not a long of oxygen down there,' Mr Pahnke said.

'Plus the cold, it's like a refrigerator, it'll keep for quite a while.'

The sheriff's department did not release the exact condition of the body.    

However, officials say the results from the autopsy helped to confirm the identity.