LAKE SUPERIOR- November 10th marks the day that the S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior in 1975 with 29 souls on board.
The ship was launched on June 8th, 1958 as the largest cargo ship on the Great Lakes. The ship would carry iron ore between ports on the Great Lakes including Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio. The ship set seasonal haul records more than five times in its lifespan, breaking its own record.
But on November 9th, the Edmund Fitzgerald left Superior, Wisconsin en route to a steel mill near Detroit. With a full load of iron ore pellets, the ship got caught up in a severe weather storm on Lake Superior. According to weather reports winds gusted up to near hurricane force winds and brought wave heights to 35 feet high. Shortly after 7 p.m. the Edmund Fitzgerald sunk in Canadian waters near Sault Ste. Marie. All 29 people on board died and their bodies have not been recovered.
It is still unknown at this time what exactly caused the Edmund Fitzgerald to sink.
The tragedy of the Edmund Fitzgerald lead to increased shipping regulations, that included mandatory survival suits on ships and positioning systems.
You can find more information on the Edmund Fitzgerald at www.ssefo.com