Almost half a century ago the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald, a Great Lakes bulk cargo vessel en route to Detroit from Superior, Wisconsin, sank to the bottom of Lake Superior during a fierce storm that claimed the lives of all 29 crewmen. The 729-foot ship, caught in treacherous winds and towering waves, plunged to a watery grave 500 feet deep.
Photo of the Edmund Fitzgerald, 1971 Credit: Greenmars, CC BY-SA
From the National Weather Service:
The Coast Guard searched the area over the next few days, and on Nov. 14, 1975, a U.S. Navy plane with a magnetic detector found a strong signal 17 miles northwest of Whitefish Point. In the following days, the Coast Guard cutter Woodrush located two large wreckage pieces in 535 feet of water. A Navy recovery vehicle photographed the wreckage on May 20, 1976.
Fitzgerald wreckage photograph (Credit: Chicago Tribune)
The Coast Guard determined the ship sank suddenly
The Edmund Fitzgerald never called for help and the ship’s lifeboats were found badly damage, indicating they were never launched but instead smashed while still secured to the ship, the Coast Guard concluded the following factors were responsible for the sinking:
The Fitzgerald sat very low in the water, increasing the frequency and quantity of water that could flood the deck. The loose hatch covers allowed water spilling onboard to enter the cargo area, causing the ship to sink even lower and take on more and more water. More water could have entered through damage in the hull caused by the possible grounding near Caribou Island.
Timeline of events and final radio transmissions
CONTINUE READING (S.S. EDMUND FITZGERALD ONLINE)
