I watched those two waves head down the lake toward the Fitzgerald, and I think those were the two that sent him under. Another wave just like the first one or bigger hit us again. Then the Anderson just raised up and shook herself off of all that water – barrooff – just like a big dog. Anderson, Photo by US Army Corps of Engineers, Wikimedia Commons Captain Cooper later reported how two enormous waves overwhelmed the Anderson, crashing along the deck, over the top of the pilothouse, and submerging the bow. Anderson was several miles behind the Edmund Fitzgerald and had been in regular radio contact with the Mighty Fitz. McSorley reported both radars were down, water was coming in, the freighter was listing, water pumps were up and running, but, “We are holding our own”. Lake Superior, Photo by Chelsey Baldock, Wikimedia CommonsĪs the storm progressed, the Edmund Fitzgerald headed toward Whitefish Point in an effort to escape the storm. Hull damage? Hatch failure? Monstrous seas? Or some tragic combination? At one point during the storm, Captain McSorley commented these were the “worst seas he’d ever sailed in.” Wind gusts of up to 70-75 knots (80-86 mph) were reported with waves between 18-25 feet. The families of the deceased subsequently petitioned the Canadian government (the Mighty Fitz sank in Canadian waters) to limit access to the Edmund Fitzgerald out of respect for the crew and their gravesite.ĭistress: There are many theories, but no conclusive evidence to determine why the Edmund Fitzgerald sank. During a dive in 1994, one of the crew was found in the bow section, wearing a lifejacket.

SS Edmund Fitzgerald Bell, Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, Photo by Duchene9, Wikimedia CommonsĪfter the USCG’s confirmation of the Mighty Fitz’s demise, there have been several expeditions to the wreckage site. Weighing 200 lbs., the Mighty Fitz’s bronze bell is a memorial to the crew and on display at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum located at Whitefish Point in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The northernmost and largest of the five Great Lakes, it measures 383 miles from east to west by 161 miles north to south and is 1,333 feet at its deepest.Ĭlamor: Our final artifact was retrieved from the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1995, at the request of the crew’s families. Great Lake Facts: Lake Superior (aka Gitche Gumee) is cold, dark, deep, and riddled with shipwrecks. Edmund Fitzgerald Wreckage Site (“X”), Valley Camp Museum Ship, Photo by cjverb (2019) Note, the wreckage site of the Edmund Fitzgerald is located 535 feet beneath Lake Superior more than twice as deep as these crumpled buoys. The damage is yet another reminder of the severe conditions on this greatest of lakes. The water pressure at this depth is 10 times higher than on the surface and the resulting force crushed the buoys like a child’s toy. Battered and bruised, this boat looks like it was bludgeoned by Thor’s hammer.īuoys used to position Edmund Fitzgerald Wreckage, Valley Camp Museum Ship, Photo by cjverb (2019)Īt one point during the CURV III mission, the wind became so intense it drove the buoys underwater, plunging them 250 feet beneath the surface. Lifeboat #2 washed ashore 12 miles north of the wreckage at Mamainse Point, Ontario. Mangled: Ripped from the Mighty Fitz when it sank, the lifeboats are perhaps the most haunting artifacts recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald. Click on this Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald link and listen to singer, Gordon Lightfoot’s tribute to the Mighty Fitz and her crew. Mighty Fitz Fact #1: The Edmund Fitzgerald has been immortalized in song and Great Lakes lore. We begin with the Mighty Fitz’s lifeboats… Edmund Fitzgerald (1971), Photo by Greenmars, Wikimedia Commons Join me for a brief look at artifacts recovered from this fateful ship, and the story they tell about this tragic event.

Captain Ernest McSorley and all 28 crew members perished. Loaded with iron ore and bound for a steel mill near Detroit, this massive freighter was torn apart in a violent storm and sank on November 10, 1975. Today on Museum Bites we’re wrapping up our tour through the Valley Camp Museum Ship with a deep dive into the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.

Edmund fitzgerald lifeboat