In brief
The Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, during a fierce storm that took the lives of all 29 crew members onboard. As the 50th anniversary approaches, communities around the Great Lakes are planning memorial events to honor those lost and reflect on safety improvements that emerged from the tragedy. Family members, like Debbie Gomez-Felder, continue to advocate for the preservation of the ship as a site of remembrance.
MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) — Spend enough time along the shores of Lake Superior and it won’t be long before there’s some reminder of what happened “when the gales of November came early.”
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the largest and most famous of the estimated 6,500 ships that have gone down in the Great Lakes. But the Fitzgerald is remembered while the others are forgotten, thanks in large part to Gordon Lightfoot’s 1976 haunting folk ballad that became a surprise hit.
The Fitzgerald, a 730-foot long freighter named after a Milwaukee insurance company executive, went down in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975. All 29 men on board died.
‘A crew and good captain well-seasoned’
The Fitz, as it’s still affectionately called, was the largest ship on the Great Lakes when it launched in 1958 and kept that title until 1971. On its final voyage, the Fitzgerald departed Superior, Wisconsin, on Nov. 9, 1975, carrying 26,000 tons of iron ore along a familiar route to Zug Island in Detroit.
Oliver “Buck” Champeau, 41, was making his first trip on “The Mighty Fitz,” drawn in by the higher pay that time of year. “It was an honor to be on the Fitzgerald,” Gomez-Felder said, recalling her father's journey. Most crew members hailed from states bordering the Great Lakes.
Captain Ernest M. McSorley intended to retire that season, seasoned in navigating the storms of Lake Superior, yet the storm that struck on Nov. 10 was unprecedented. Gale warnings turned to storm warnings, with reports of 25-foot waves. McSorley’s last message indicated they were holding steady, but then silence fell.
The mystery of why the Fitzgerald sank remains unsolved, but the disaster initiated significant safety improvements in maritime navigation and operations. Frederick Stonehouse notes that this incident has fundamentally changed how vessels operate on the lakes, with no vessels of similar size sinking since then.
The Fitzgerald lies submerged at the lake bottom, untouched, as families hope to keep the site sacred. Annually, memorial services honor the lost crew, with the 50th anniversary expected to heighten observances. Bruce Lynn from the Great Lake Shipwreck Historical Society emphasizes that remembering the Fitzgerald is a tribute to every sailor lost at sea.
As commemorative events approach, Debbie Gomez-Felder expresses a desire for people to remember the beloved crew members and honor their legacies, maintaining the connection to family and tragedy intertwined with the ship's story.
