"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours?"
On November 10, 1975, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank beneath the waters of Lake Superior during a powerful November storm. One of the largest and most well-known freighters on the Great Lakes, people have spent the last half-century debating and remembering the tragedy.
The Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin, at 2:30 PM on November 9, carrying more than 26,000 tons of taconite pellets. It was headed for Detroit under the leadership of Captain Ernest McSorley, who was an experienced Great Lakes sailor. A massive storm was crossing Lake Superior on November 10, with winds reaching hurricane-force levels and waves that reportedly climbed to 25 feet.
Another ship, the Arthur M. Anderson, was following behind the Fitzgerald by approximately 10 to 15 miles. On the afternoon of November 10, Captain Cooper of the Anderson believed the Fitzgerald had traveled close to Six Fathom Shoal, possibly leading to grounding damage. By 3:30 PM on November 10, the Fitzgerald lost two vent covers and some railing; it had also developed a list and experienced problems with its radar equipment. With the help of the Anderson, the Fitzgerald headed toward Whitefish Bay on Michigan's upper peninsula.
Shortly after 7 PM, the Fitzgerald sent out her final radio exchange:
"We're holding our own."
A few minutes later, the Fitzgerald disappeared from the Anderson's radar. There was no distress call and no reported explosion. The Edmund Fitzgerald sank about 17 miles from the entrance to Whitefish Bay, in Canadian waters.
There were no survivors.
Tonight marks the 51st anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior. 29 men died when the ship went down, and we remember those men today. pic.twitter.com/PQChdLyfcw
— WXYZ Detroit (@wxyzdetroit) November 10, 2026
What caused the sinking remains largely a mystery to this day. The U.S. Coast Guard investigated and said in 1977 that the most probable cause was flooding of the cargo hold from ineffective hatch closures. In 1978, however, the National Transportation Safety Board said a collapse of one more hatches led to the flooding. Another theory goes back to Captain Cooper's concern that the Fitzgerald struck ground near Six Fathom Shoal and took on water through a damaged hull.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society said evidence suggests massive waves overwhelmed the ship and drove the bow underwater.
Captain Cooper and the Anderson made it to Whitefish Bay, but turned around to assist in the search for the Fitzgerald.
"The lake it is said never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy."
The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald now lies about 530 feet beneath the surface of Lake Superior, broken into two main sections. In 1976, an expedition filmed the wreck and the ship's bell was recovered in 1995; it now is housed at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point, Michigan.
No bodies were ever recovered from the wreck; however, remains have been observed at the site, which is now protected under Ontario's heritage legislation. Divers cannot visit or disturb the wreck without proper authorization as it's the final resting place for the Fitzgerald crew.
Today is the 10th of November.
— McNeil (@REFLOG18) November 10, 2026
Never forget the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. pic.twitter.com/MkTXm7q0Hh
Singer Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the sinking in song.
Lightfoot reportedly wrote the song after he read a news story in which the name of the Fitzgerald was misspelled.
My favorite two parts of the background of Gordon Lightfoot writing “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”:
— Eric Kohn 🥃 (@iEricKohn) November 10, 2026
1) Lightfoot read a news story on the wreck and they spelled the name of the ship wrong. Offended by this, he wrote the song to honor them properly.
2) The final verse… https://t.co/0T2m5qX6IA
"The church bell chimed til it rang 29 times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald."
In 2023, the bell at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy rang 30 times to honor Gordon Lightfoot, who passed away on May 1 that year.
This year, it will once again ring 29 times to honor the sailors lost 51 years ago.
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