Mark Larson

"We are holding our own." Those were the last words anyone heard from the Edmund Fitzgerald. When she was launched in 1958, she was the largest ship on the Great Lakes. On November 9, 1975, she left Superior, Wisconsin, loaded with taconite ore pellets, under Captain Ernest McSorley, bound for a steel mill near Detroit. A massive storm built over Lake Superior. By November 10, winds were near hurricane force and waves were up to 35 feet. Around 3:30 p.m., McSorley radioed the freighter Arthur M. Anderson, following behind, that the Fitzgerald had lost two vent covers and a railing, was taking on water and had developed a list. Soon after, the Whitefish Point light and beacon went dark. At about 7:10 p.m., the Anderson asked how the Fitzgerald was doing. McSorley answered: "We are holding our own." Minutes later, the Fitzgerald vanished from the Anderson's radar. She sent no distress call. The Coast Guard and nearby ships searched through the night and found only debris and damaged lifeboats. All 29 crew members were lost. The Navy located the wreck on November 14, in 530 feet of water, in two large pieces. She lay about 17 miles from the entrance to Whitefish Bay, a shelter she was trying to reach. What sank her is still debated: waves, a shoal, or damage to her hatches. Her loss changed the Great Lakes. Survival suits, depth finders and stricter rules for freighters followed. In 1976, Gordon Lightfoot's ballad made her name known worldwide. Every November 10, her recovered bell is rung 29 times, and one more for all mariners lost. Twenty-nine men, 17 miles from shelter. Disclaimer: Based on the NTSB and U.S. Coast Guard investigations, National Weather Service records, and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum accounts. Shared with respect for the 29 crew and their families. Photos: Edmund Fitzgerald photos (U.S. Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers, public domain via Wikimedia Commons). Other scenes AI-generated with no real people shown.