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SS Edmund Fitzgerald Sinking
On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior during a storm, killing all 29 crew. The massive ore carrier went down so fast no distress signal was sent. Gordon Lightfoot's song immortalized it. The wreck has never been raised, and the exact cause remains debated.
1975
Lake Superior, USA/Canada
1+ witnesses
The most famous shipwreck on the Great Lakes.
The Ship
SS Edmund Fitzgerald:
- Launched 1958
- Largest on Great Lakes
- 729 feet long
- Iron ore carrier
- “Pride of the fleet”
The Storm
November 10, 1975:
- Massive storm
- 35-foot waves
- Hurricane-force winds
- Lost radar contact
- 7:10 PM disappeared
The Mystery
How it sank:
- No distress call
- Sank in minutes
- 530 feet deep
- All 29 crew lost
- Never raised
The Theories
What happened:
- Structural failure
- Rogue wave
- Hatch covers failed
- Shoal damage
- Combination of factors
The Song
Cultural impact:
- Gordon Lightfoot
- “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”
- 1976 release
- Made it famous
- Maritime tribute
Lake Superior
The haunted lake:
- “Superior never gives up her dead”
- Cold preserves bodies
- Many wrecks below
- Ghost ship reports
- Dangerous waters