On November 10, 1975, tragedy struck Lake Superior when the massive freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a powerful storm, taking all 29 crew members down with it. Known as one of the largest and most reliable ships on the Great Lakes, the Edmund Fitzgerald was a familiar sight hauling iron ore across the region. Its sudden and mysterious disappearance shocked many and has since become one of the most famous shipwrecks in North American history.
The Edmund Fitzgerald was launched in 1958 and quickly gained a reputation for breaking records in size and capacity. Measuring 729 feet, it was one of the longest ships to navigate the Great Lakes and frequently carried thousands of tons of iron ore between ports in the U.S. and Canada. With a reputation for efficiency and resilience, the ship’s loss on that November night was a stunning blow to the maritime community.
As the freighter sailed through Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, it encountered a fierce storm with 35-foot waves, gale-force winds, and snow squalls that reduced visibility. Despite the conditions, Captain Ernest McSorley communicated with a nearby ship, the SS Arthur M. Anderson, assuring them that the Edmund Fitzgerald was “holding its own.” However, shortly after 7 p.m., the Edmund Fitzgerald disappeared from radar without a distress signal, and neither the ship nor its crew was seen alive again.
In the aftermath, the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched investigations, but neither was able to determine a single cause for the sinking. Theories ranged from hull damage and flooding to structural failure, though no definitive answer was ever found. The wreck now lies at the bottom of Lake Superior, 530 feet below the surface, resting in two large pieces.
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The story of the Edmund Fitzgerald lives on, particularly through Gordon Lightfoot’s haunting song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which brought the tale to a wide audience. Every November 10, a memorial service is held at the Mariners’ Church of Detroit, where the ship’s bell is rung 29 times in honor of each crew member. Nearly 50 years later, the memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald remains a powerful reminder of the dangers faced by those who navigate the Great Lakes.