The Edmund Fitzgerald Mystery

On the 10th of November, 1975, one of the largest ships to ever sail the Great Lakes and the largest ship to ever sink on them, departed Wisconsin to sail across Lake Superior in route to Detroit Michigan. But as she left port, she sailed directly into a November storm that claimed every single life on board. But what happened in those final pivotal moments? The mystery lives on, see for yourself.
#History #Disaster

Works Cited:
Mighty Fitz by Michael Schumacher
The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Michael Schumacher
NTSB Report on the Edmund Fitzgerald

USCG Marine casualty report

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[MaritimeHorrors]

Good news shipmates! Channel patches are back on sale! If you want a patch, hit us up!

[teresamatson]

I lived in Marquette at the time it sunk. I remember that storm, and hard to forget. Watched it go past as we were outside watching the waves crash. A few of my friends had family members who were crew on her. I still tear up to this day thinking about the pain they suffered. If you go to the maritime museum you can see what is left of a lifeboat they found….it looks like a pop can someone just twisted into two pieces. This video was a very respectful piece. Thank you.

[eithnemelee]

I am a geophysicist with a particular interest in wave dynamics, and I truly believe that a rogue wave sank the Edmund Fitzgerald. Here is why: there is nothing else that explains just how *quickly* she disappeared, and that there was no distress call sent out.

The details: The reports from the Anderson indicate that the sinking must have occurred between 19:10 (last radio communication with the Fitzgerald) and 19:20 (when the crew of the Anderson realized the Fitzgerald was no longer on their radar). The 19:10 communication suggested that the Fitzgerald, while having navigational issues, was not in immediate peril. Even if she ran aground only seconds after the 19:10 communication ended, I find it very improbable that a vessel of her size would have sunk so quickly as to have completely disappeared from the Anderson's radar only 10 minutes later. I believe that she was hit by a rogue wave or series of three rogue waves in this time period. Lake Superior is more than large enough to generate rogue waves; this is suggested in much current research into how rogue waves form. In the reported 25+ foot seas, a rogue wave could have easily reached over 60 feet in height. Rogue waves are also much steeper than normal waves. The combination of her inflexible design and the steepness and sheer height of the wave would have created immense forces on her hull. I believe that she quite literally broke into two down the middle as the wave passed beneath her (this has been documented happening in other ships in large seas). Water would have rushed in at an enormous speed and both halves would have quickly capsized, leaving no time for anyone to radio a distress call. A vessel split down the middle, in such large seas, could easily have sunk within ten or so minutes, leaving no trace on radar when the Anderson looked for her ten minutes after her last communication. I would kill to see the shearing patterns on the two halves of her hull at her final resting place.

Whether I'm right about this or not, may the 29 souls who perished that day rest in peace.

[TiredEyes]

As someone who lives in Michigan, the lakes are far more like freshwater seas. If you look towards the horizon from the shore to try and see the other side of the lake, all you see is more water stretching as far as the eye can see, just like looking out on the ocean.

[marcussamborski]

My uncle Mickey was the original engineer on the Edmund Fitzgerald. 2 of the crew that went down with the ship were close friends with my uncle. He would’ve been one of those 29 men lost had he not lost his job. He got drunk one night on shift working the Fitzgerald’s boilers and engine and there was an explosion.
Every night from then on until he died, he listened to that song and cried himself to sleep thinking, ”why am I still here?”
True family connection with this ship

[FireTeamHarmony]

I expected 30 minutes of Gordon Lightfoot on a loop. But this is so much better.

[plank]

The Great Lakes are beautiful, but with beauty often comes danger. Mateo, a kid I sat next to in English class, dove in trying to save another kid from our school. The water was too cold, Chicago winters are hell. He saved the other kid there. We hung flowers from his locker for weeks after it happened. None of us ever forgot, and I hope you all remember him too. Mateo Garcia. A hero.

[Chanannagins]

I'm 24 years old and I've lived in Michigan my whole life. A couple weekends ago we went up by Sault Ste Marie for a bachelor party. We rented a house on the St. Mary's river. Right down the road from our AirBnb was a bar called the Cozy Corner. We happened to be there on November 10th. The bar rang the bell 29 times for each of the lives lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald and there was a haunting silence that occured for over a minute. Behind the bar, a freighter went by on the river. Only illuminated by the lights around the vessel. The bar owner then played the radio communication of that fateful night over the speakers. One of the coolest experiences I've been apart of.

Side note: I'm also a financial advisor for Northwestern Mutual - the company that funded the Edmund Fitzgerald

[jeffryschmitz]

I was a coxswain in the U.S. Coast Guard from June 1975 to June 1979. I spent fifteen months at small boat station Marblehead, Ohio near Sandusky Ohio. I've sailed in every ocean except the Southern Ocean and the Artic Ocean as a merchant mariner, having said that, Lake Erie and the SAR's I performed traumatized me so severely that I have 100% service-connected disability (PTSD and a left knee injury). Yeah, the Great Lakes are no joke!

There is enough water in Lake Superior to cover the entire land mass of North and South America to a depth of 12 inches. Water for thought. Great piece you did on the Fitz my fellow coxswain. well done! Thank you for your service!

[Doc_Fun]

MN native here, just wanna say this is a great little documentary. And yeah, it's really difficult to put how overwhelming these lakes are into words, I always struggle describing them to people who've never seen them. When you come up from the twin cities into duluth, you crest this big hill that sorta obscures lake superior, and when you first get that look at the lake, your initial thought is just "there's no way that's a lake." The only thing distinguishing it from a sea is the lack of salt smell in the air.

[darthcheesecake]

I know it's really a minor thing. But it does warm my heart to see how tight a bond the people who ply the lakes have. They all know the lakes are dangerous, they all know what they face and that they're in it together. Taking your ship back out into a November storm on the chance of helping is noble.

[SulliMike]

You don't grow up in the Great Lakes area without learning about the Edmund Fitzgerald.

[chexlemeneux]

The conditions on these lakes change so quickly it's unbelievable. We were on lake huron and it was the calmest I had ever seen it, we stopped in Grandbend for some pizza and by the time we left it was 5ft+ waves and we didn't make it more than 2 miles before our boat got over whelmed and we capsized. The boat was not meant for the big lake, in calm weather it was fine but we learned to never trust it will stay that way.

[Tough_luck_kid]

MY GOD, the sailors on the Anderson had some balls, definitely heroes for continuing to put themselves in danger solely for the concern of others

[nickedgecomb]

In 1961 I was stationed at USCG base Detroit and used to log the ships as they passed Belle Isle . After a time I was able to recognize the ships at night by the sounds of their engines. I remember the Fitzgerald very well .

[colebastian]

This is by far the best rendition of this story I have seen to date. Thank you for the details and the time it took to put it all together. As a Canadian, this is a big part of our history. It's great to see people still so interested in the details of the story.

[conniefischer]

I crossed the Pacific 3 times times on freighters as an MK on the way to Formosa/Taiwan. It was always a joy, though be went through a typhoon all three times. (57, 62, 68).
I am fascinated by the ocean and other great waters.
I remember when the song came out when I was a young adult in the US. It intriged me and made me incredibly sad. Without the great info sharing we have now, I didn't realize it was so recent. Fast forward quite a few years, and I had a teenage son also intrigued by the song.
He planned to write a story about the Edmond Fitzgerald.
Unfortunately, his life ended at 15, and it was left undone.
Thank you much for posting this on youtube. It is very well done. I have not seen the other video you mentioned.

[tedp]

The day the Fitz went down I was deer hunting on the Bruce Peninsula on the east side of Lake Huron. As the day went on it became impossible to walk in the bush as the roots of the trees were moving the ground so much it was impossible to walk. The trees were bending and swaying in the gale force winds. We quit at lunch time as it was not safe to be in the bush. Trees were crashing down and the ground moved under your feet. I have hunted all my life and never before or since seen such winds on Lake Huron. Superior must have been even worse. I pray the

Rests in Peace.

[seanjones]

I remember hearing from a scandinavian sailor that was on the lake at this time that this storm was worse than any he had been through on the ocean. He said the waves are more destructive on the lake. He had never seen anything like this.

[godblessamerica]

Rest in peace, Gordon Lightfoot! Your legend will live on in Minnesota and beyond.