Archaeologists Investigate The Sunken Wreckage of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald

[@timothyredman1761]

I was on a USCG cutter on Superior for almost two years. In rough weather you could clearly see the pilot house listing one direction and the stack the other simultaneously. The stress that puts on the hull HAS to be insane!!

[@tracymetherell8744]

I can’t help but hear Gordon Lightfoot’s song in my head as I watch this.

[@brentblake8306]

Yep."Been good to know ya".

[@gayprepperz6862]

The story and the song are entwined as one forever.

[@terryanthony5323]

Goddammit

[@panzerjagertigerporsche]

"The searchers all say she'd have made Whitefish Bay if she had put 15 more miles behind her"

[@jenniferlehman3342]

Same, always a haunting memorial

[@Racefiend47]

This was one of the best documentaries and research videos I've watched. Super informative and I feel more accurately explains what actually happened. For decades we were to believe the crew had messed up with the hatches and it seems otherwise now. Thank you for this

[@audreyjohnson4599]

The sailors on the Great Lakes have a name for those rogue waves. They are called the Three Sisters because they usually have a series of rogue waves moving close together. The Anderson reported being hit by two of those waves from the stern that were travelling in the direction of the Fitz. I saw pictures of the Anderson after she reached Whitefish Bay during the storm and she had a lot of damage on the stern. Also, this report said that the Anderson followed the Fitz. The Anderson was actively trying to assist the Fitz by using her radar to guide the Fitz and staying in contact, not just following. She also reported the Fitz missing and led the search for survivors, going back into the storm along with another laker the William Clay Ford.

[@insertnamehere313]

The Anderson was indeed damaged especially the stern. Captain Cooper said the whole stern was completely under water several times...that's gotta be terrifying. Also I almost forgot that the life boat on the stern was destroyed as well.

[@panzerjagertigerporsche]

Arthur M. Anderson only went back out to search for the Fitz due to the Coast Guard or whatever the Great Lakes have for Search and Rescue pressuring Cpt Cooper to go back to search for the Fitz.

[@antknee5556]

Bernie Cooper said those were the biggest seas he'd ever seen and the Fitz was already sinking, she had a list and the pumps weren't keeping up. If those 2 seas rolled down the Fitz Spar Deck and hit the pilot house it could have pushed it down and she never recovered. The next thing the crew (in the pilot house anyway) knew was the windows imploding and that's all she wrote. The crew in the stern is a different story And one of the doors in the pilot house was dogged down open. It's a mystery. Whatever it was it happened so fast McSorely never even had a chance to reach for the phone to call a mayday.

[@martymcpeak4748]

yessir, and lot of people believe that She got between 2 waves and broke her structure.

[@garvdarb]

7 Sisters

[@billclisham8668]

If you haven't live in and around the Great Lakes, it's hard to understand just how alive the lake truly are. I will never forget the feeling of watching the news reports of when the Fitz sank. It went from search and recovery to all hands lost, it was a very dark time to say the least. They can guess all they want but there will never be an exact cause of the sinking known. It's a very dry read, but the NTSB/Coast Guard reports of the wreck is fascinating to read.

[@johndoe-so2ef]

They've built the shoreline up and out over the years, but I can remember storms in Cleveland where the waves were coming up over I-90 in one area. There's an incredible amount of energy in a wave.

[@stop736]

I live up in the woods in the western part of the UP, I’m just a few minutes away from Lake Superior. We honor the day that the Fitz went down every year on November 10th. They play Gordon Lightfoot’s song on loop all day on most radio stations in the UP, especially in the remote places like I live. I get very few local radio stations because I live so deep in the woods. They have memorial services and everything up here on the anniversary of its sinking. It is a VERY small and isolated community here and it’s one of the few times that us locals get together and eat and everything. We all know very well just how dangerous the lake can get in the winter here or in big storms. It can be scary just standing on the shore and seeing a lake with 5 foot waves or more! Most importantly though, the men that served on the Fitz are still honored to this day for us people living here.

[@timnye718]

I was born on November 10th, 1960 and every year this somber reminder of the Witch of November comes back to haunt me. This was a really well put together program and I enjoyed it tremendously. Thank you for your work on this.

[@rodneybiltman2005]

It is amazing how far we've come to understand "rogue waves".

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

The first major video of a rogue wave was in either Season 1 or 2 of Deadliest Catch.

[@dgordon130]

I recall seeing this documentary and frankly it scared the heck out of me. Huge respect to the father and son duo for their work, and insane respect to those who go to sea.

[@SerafinaBabic-q8b]

People don't understand how dangerous The Great Lakes are. Even little Lake St. Clair takes a minimum of 2 lives per year. Its average depth is only 11 feet deep but it's got a wicked undercurrent.

[@EmmaSpAce111]

They are basically inland seas and are only not considered that because they are fresh water. People seem to take seas more seriously just because they have the word “sea” attached. I feel like if people were told “seas located in an area known for different types of extreme weather” it would click more, unfortunate that it doesn’t seem to now

[@SerafinaBabic-q8b]

@EmmaSpAce111 you're so right. When I travel and I talk about The Great Lakes people are always shocked by it. Most didn't know they can get 30 foot plus waves during storms. What always amuses me is their faces when I show them pictures of lighthouses off Lake Superior that are just covered in ice that's almost horizontal. Winters sucked growing up in Michigan but it's a cool state for sure.

[@momv2pa]

This story never fails to give me goosebumps. Seeing that simulation really brought the tragedy home. I imagined myself in the wheelhouse. It was terrible how the blame game began. Even though I know nothing about how these ships work. I never believed the stories about the hatches not being properly latched. Those men would not have taken such chances with their lives, plus I believe they had the utmost sense of work ethics. I just realized that next year will be 50 years since this happened. I was 20 years old then. Wow. RIP to the crew and my deepest sympathies to their families and friends.😭

[@JefferyAshmore]

I was 12 at the time in 1075 and visited whitefish point in sept of 2024 best vacation of my life. I was 60 when I went there but it was on my bucket list.

[@andybreuker4759]

i hear ya on the hatch, now thinking the same. I was three weeks old when Fitz went down. still chokes me up when I watch Lightfoots song on video here on youtube. my family rolls their eyes when they hear it (play it on and off for years now:). ha ha. be neat to particpate in person on the 50th up there, we will see how available they make it to the public..lots of interest

[@kaijessen3654]

The company always has an interest in assigning blame to the crew in order to limit their own liability.

[@missysbloglife]

My dad sailed on the Fitz one year before she sank. He knew all of the crew members very well.

[@gprich82]

I'm really glad I found this video. I've consumed a lot of Fitz content. This makes it pretty clear that the ship was likely destroyed by a rogue wave on the surface...one of the two that Capt Cooper described...one just happened to break over the Fitz. Bridge under wave and stern in the air...and snap...especially if there was yaw and list present.

[@mellissadalby1402]

I can't find the record or the name, but there was a modern bluk carrier that also cracked in the middle after taking on water. These vessels are very long, long enough for the bow and stern to be supported by huges waves while the middle is not supported by much of anything. Add to that the weight of any water in the hold and the vessel WILL break in half, no doubt.

[@russk1971]

I grew up on the St Claire River. I remember seeing the news reports about the Fitzgerald being lost. I have many friends who sailed the merchant marines. None of us believe that crew errors caused the Fitzgerald to sink. I believe that design errors, relaxed cargo rules, and the perfect storm sent the ship to the bottom of Lake Superior. The fact that the shipping company paid the families to not sue says they knew they held some of the blame for the sinking. Blaming the crew who could not defend themselves made certain that they got the insurance payout.

[@howlinhog]

I was 14 in 75. My Grandparents had been making their yearly trip to the U.P. since the 40's, this was my first as a legal solo hunter in Michigan. My Grandparents had some very close friends, the Simmons family. They had a relative on the Fitzgerald. I had never seen my Grandmother so worried and distraught before or since on the evening of the tenth. She stayed up all night with the radio and TV on and visitors going back and forth. It was a very emotional time when it was reported that the Edmund had gone down with no survivors. My Dad and I went into the woods alone that year, my Grandparents were too busy with friends to go out.

[@mjames70]

The only survivor of the Daniel J Morrell, Dennis Hale, passed away from cancer in 2015. At least he got to make this trip to the wreck site of his ship before then.

[@DrTHC]

I'm really stoked to watch this. Mortician Caitlyn Dougherty covered this topic beautifully, and in her yt video she mentioned that there was a deep dive archeological documentary being filmed at the time.

[@phaedrapage4217]

I watched that one too. I love the respect and thoughtfulness she always approaches subjects with.

[@maryannobrien-sq1vd]

I read that a former crew member had claimed the fitz was a wet ship and needed the pumps to run frequently while he was sailing with the fitzgerald

[@kevinquist]

ive been on lake superior. nice. sunny. perfect day. and we see dark clouds coming. with in 30 min. wind was 40 mph raining side ways. cold and dark. its shocking. Just like that. you go from having a good day to wtF!

[@richardpichan6916]

I think I agree with the theory of structural failure on the surface. The early onset of those failures could have affected the hatches, bringing on the water that pused the vessel beyond its limits. Under the extremes of the storm and the extra weight, could the torsion and flex have caused in a distortion, buckling, or split in the deck near or effecting the flanges for the hatches in its early stages? Somewhere near the final fracture point? I feel it had to have been a failure beyond the captain and crews control. I believe no one could have identified the initial damages, as they occurred, that led to the final fate of the ship while, under way, and actively fighting the conditions they faced in that legendary storm. Very good work, great documentary.

[@almirria6753]

You failed to take into account how warped & twisted she had become. And according to former crewmen they had to jump on the hatch covers, and then they could not dog them down, then let's not forget the mismarked chart [and how Canada will not allow anyone to check out that shoal for impact marks] and then the 3 Sisters that drove her bow into the lake bottom and breaking her on the surface & on the bottom [she was longer than the depth of the lake at that point] She was due for a long overdue drydock time for a complete refurbing

[@audreyjohnson4599]

The owners also had a habit of overloading her.

[@almirria6753]

@@audreyjohnson4599 As do all the other lakers out there, even today this still happens

[@CrewGuyPJ]

I agree she was due for layup repairs. The rest Ill leave to Capt Cedric Woodard, "I have worked on boats that had those same hatch covers and have been in the hold during storm. maybe a cup full would come thru. Even if those covers had no clamps on them, they weight tons, and cant come off, so how could that much come thru...."

[@almirria6753]

@@CrewGuyPJ Have you watched the Historyman channel here on yt. He has Capt Darrel on all the time. He also crewed on her & knew a majority of the crew

[@CrewGuyPJ]

@@almirria6753 Yes I have..it was a good listen.

[@frederickstamm-rr1qj]

The families of the 29 crew members, have told no more dives of any kind . They said let these men be at peace.

[@emilytaege]

Do you happen to know if it is okay to be on the outside of the ship? Ok to dive, but do not go inside the ship, especially with cameras

[@sreed8570]

Saying the hatch covers were left even partially unsecured to save on cost is nonsense. The men were already on board and being paid to do the job, they wouldn't have have-assed it especially with the good officers the ship had. If the company truly believed that they wouldn't have rushed to pay off the families and get their signatures on waivers of liability.

[@NPC-Gamer]

It wasn't uncommon to leave hatches unsecured, they weighed 16 tons and the weather was perfect on departure. They didn't realize what they were sailing into

[@Old_Indian_Trick]

There are pictures that literally prove the hatches were not fully clamped. Its not debatable. The issue is whether or not the lack completely clamping them allowed in enough water to cause or contribute to the sinking.

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

@@NPC-Gamer I get what you're saying but I live in MN and have seen probably every documentary that's ever existed, there's absolutely no way they would've done that. Not that crew, and not that captain.

[@NPC-Gamer]

@djjazzyjeff1232 I'm from Michigan and I too have watched a ton of Doc's Have you seen the recent ones with Captain Darrell ? He explains why they were left unsecured

[@djjazzyjeff1232]

@ No I haven’t, I’ll check that out

[@malagastehlaate9923]

I can't imagine the terror that night must have been for those men. I think of it every time I hear that song... which I can't listen to without crying. IMO, there was a massive cover-up as to what really happened... overloaded... and already stressed... yeah... doesn't take much to imagine.

[@kaijessen3654]

Maybe. I’ve been in a big storm and most of the knuckleheads onboard were excited. You have to think that nothing much ever happens on a boat that’s out of the ordinary. Complacency and boredom are relieved by adversity and excitement. They believed that their ship wasn’t sinkable and were more focused on not losing their lunch than on losing their lives. Being out on the sea in Alaska I thought a lot about dying by drowning in the cold water and it is one of the best ways to die. It is quick and you sort of fall into unconsciousness from the cold and suffocation.

[@JunioR_Gaming]

He'll yeah, it's always interesting when high profile "local" history is explored.

[@shelliewerner5624]

Excellent documentary ❤ Rest in peace...❤

[@mikeswink1031]

Reports of loud noises from the structure while she was being loaded . The structural failure might have started during loading . Then the loud noise which the crew thought was the Edmond bottoming out . I visited the Maritime Museum at Whitefish point in late September and watched the 20 minute video that played on a loop . Just standing on the boardwalk sent shivers down my spine . Very solemn

[@charlesmiddleton3247]

I have a black and white picture of the Fitzgerald I had found in my late Uncle's picture albums I was given after he past. It is on dry dock and not completed as far as I can tell. I cherish this picture...one... bc it was my World War 2 ( Army ) Uncle's that I believe helped build this magnificent lake ship at the time. I would like to donate it to some museum. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment. Thank you for this informative video.

[@davidouradnik7925]

Great Lakes Shipwreck museum

[@josephart1021]

Such a well made documentary. Thanks for putting out the information.

[@diverdave4056]

I dove a few wrecks form the 1800's in Lake Superior ... the wood didn't rot because of the deep cold water

[@RAKINAUS]

Brilliant research and excellent documentary, the simulator at the end was spectacular.

[@Dh-ks6nk]

In 1975 I was 8 years old Living Munising Michigan . I remember playing down by the shoreline, and seeing the gigantic waves out of the east channel beyond Pictured Rocks, 10 miles from where we stood. The next morning my mom had the radio on telling of the Edmond Fitzgerald went down.

[@johnsweeney4257]

They mention how high up some of the wave damage is on both ships suggesting extremely high waves. Well, as the ships sink, those high points of the ship get lower and lower in the water making them more accessible to the waves.

[@mattwinans7418]

I remember this night as though it was yesterday. I was 16 yrs old and lived about 50 miles south of the straits of Mackinac... The wind and the snow squalls... I brought my beagle dog inside from his pen. I sat in our family living room with my Mother when the news flash came on tv the the Fitz was missing... My first thought was with those men aboard... I looked at my Mother and asked How will they ever survive in the water on a night like this... Knowing full well the answer to my own question as soon as I said it. I got a chill through me that I still get to this day... This is a very interesting take on the night... I like how it gives much information without drawing a positive conclusion... We all know she filled with water... This video makes no mention of hogging on the reef...It does discuss the hatches and I have alway agreed with this opinion... I think water entered quickly and caused the fitz to ride low and with a list... I think thats where she lost the vents... and the radars... but the fence rail had to have been lost from hogging on the reef.. I dont think those cables could snap from the fitz working in the waves... I also agree that a rogue is what ended her life... I think it drove her water flooded bow under the surface and she never recovered... the screw was driving at perhaps 1/2 to 3/4 throttle ( The Fitz had checked up waiting on the Anderson to catch up ) I think she was driven right to the bottom... She was 729 feel long and sunk in 535 ft of water.. that leaves 194 ft of boat left above water... I dont think she broke apart on the surface but I would not rule it out... I think she was driven the the bottom and broke in two... The screw was still turning when she drove the bottom and that is why the stern lies upside down... But however it happened.... Its a blessing that it happened quickly and I doubt there was not much suffering among the crew. I wish I knew what was happening when the captain was heard to yell... DONT LET NOBODY ON DECK !!!

[@draco4540]

i was 11 1/2 yrs old when that happened. i remember standing out on my porch watching the storm (the thunder and lightening and the wind). all i could think of was, how nasty the lake must have been and that i was glad that i wasn't on the lake in a boat that night.

[@davidmurphy8190]

I saw the imagery of the Edmund Fitzgerald in NAVY NEWS & UNDERSEA TECHNOLOGY in the 1990s. Impressive pictures and drawings.

[@maryannobrien-sq1vd]

Could slowing down to allow the Anderson to catch up be a factor as well

[@lonewolf5896]

We lived in Pancake Bay when this happened i was 7...i remember than storm...came right up on the Hwy...and even changed the beach forever.....

[@apancher]

Blaming the sinking of the Fitz on the hatch covers is ridiculous. The boat was undermaintained, overloaded, and neglected. Things were so twisted, the crew had to jump on the hatch covers to be able to dog them down.

[@petermacmillan6756]

Properly fastened, the clamps on the cargo hatch are effective in ordinary conditions, and have to be struck with a sledgehammer to remove them. Considering the stress the hull was under in rough seas, it's not hard to imagine the hatch being enough to pop one off, which meant that the others were under greater stress and more likely to fail when the hull twisted under the next wave. Once the ship foundered and broke in half, it's likely that many more of them failed. There is no way to tell whether this happened before or after the ship began to sink, so it's absurd for the Coasties to blame the crew for not dogging the hatches properly. Even if crews sometimes skipped clamps in good weather to save time closing and opening them, no crew (or captain) would take a risk like that in November. I've never read of or heard of anyone doing that, even in the best conditions, so I am skeptical. On the other hand, 18 years of the ship being overburdened, poorly maintained, and stressed in all conditions, especially after the hull was lengthened, would certainly make metal fatigue a factor. So would deferred maintenance, such as stress fractures, cracks, and bad welds.

[@zmirecki]

Very well done with the wave tank and simulator. Beyond scary to think what the men went through that night. It seems very likely the rogue wave(s) were the final thing to send the ship to the bottom but am surprised no one in this show mentioned the fence rails being down hours before 7:10 pm. As Captain Cooper alluded to there was probably structural damage earlier in the day, they never stood a chance.

[@craigm6878]

Ironic they interviewed the captain of the S.S. Michipicoten given its recent problems.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

Sadly, I don't think we will ever see that boat sail again. Very unfortunate, because shes still a beautiful boat. I love the classic lake freighters we have around here. Ive been up close to the Anderson, now there is a beautiful boat.

[@craigm6878]

@ Perhaps just as well, perhaps the Michipicoten holds the answer to what caused the Fitzgerald to break up.

[@carnivorecave]

My Father was a Merchant Marine on the great lakes. From Lake Erie...I was 15 when the ship went down...

[@austincassell4741]

@3:14 Is that Ernest sorley visible in the window of the pilot's house?

[@jebbroham1776]

It's truly astonishing that a lake can create waves large enough to sink a ship as large as the Edmund Fitzgerald, even as large as Superior is it's not deep compared to an ocean.

[@waterfallhunter634]

Those waves can develop over hundreds of kilometers. It has an average depth of 147 meters.

[@jehb8945]

All indications despite a bit of flooding that she had is that the Fitzgerald wasn't any real danger of sinking To me the wreck says it was flung to the bottom if it hit flooded slowly it would have landed relatively gently on the lake bed

[@b3j8]

It just breaks my heart she was so damn close to making it to Whitefish Bay and safety! RIP guys.

[@michiganhoosiers03]

Thanks for sharing this. Easily the most in depth,/explainable account of what most likely happened. Those waves coming across the ship would make you question your faith. Bless the 29 souls who perished that night.

[@jaywinters2483]

Thanks for making this. I can’t help but believe that as the ship rode deeper & deeper, the normal non rogue waves would twist and break her. I tend to think they had too much emphasis on a rogue wave.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

Had she broke apart on the surface, the 2 halves would be much further apart, and 200' of the ship wouldnt have disintegrated. No, a huge wave lifted the stern out of the water, the cargo, and water in the cargo hold all shifted forward, then the wave hit the pilot house, just like happened in their sulation. The thing missing is that the wave pushed the bow down so far that the prop finished driving the bow all the way to the lake bed. Then mayhem happened around midship, and 200' went "poof", well, more like BANG, POP, SCREEEECH, MOAN, GROAN, BOOM" then since the engine and everything is in the back, it was still running, so was the prop, and thats what turned the stern over. I just hope the men in that stern all went fast, like the guys in the bow would have. I couldnt imagine someone surviving in their capsized, broken up, and under 500' of water, boat.... That thought terrifies me. The impact of the bow on the lake bed is what broke her in 2. Remember the Fitz was over 700' long. It rests in 539' of water.

[@MiVets]

0:17 Try 6,000-25,000.

[@harrisonkarn2078]

I believe that the Fitz broke in half on the surface from repeated stress like the Carl D. Bradly and Daniel J Morrell did. The "flooding" reported earlier was likely flooding amidships that was caused by a small fracture, which happened to another freighter earlier this summer (It made it back to port with a slight list due to the weather being mostly calm). Unlike the Morrell, I think the stern of the Fitzgerald immediately capsized when it split in half, causing it to sink almost as fast as the bow and tearing both lifeboats off their davits. It also wouldn't end up steaming past the bow like the Morrell's stern did due to the propeller being mostly above water.

[@mellissadalby1402]

One difference between the water test on the hatch and the actual storm conditions is that during the storm, tons of water in each wave woudl crash down on the hatches and cause them to deform a little bit, likely enough to allow water intrusion. So more and more water would get into the holds with each such wave of sufficient size, eventually adding up to an unsustainable load. This hatch deformation would happen in spite of hatches being clapmed down. Water pressure of the spray alone is not a meaningful test of the hatch seal. I also don't buy human error, it was structural failure.

[@michaelpjeffries1521]

It was fully loaded with iron ore in a fierce storm. The waves would have been huge stress on something designed to not flex. The hatch cover story seems like Warren report.

[@kathygriffin9465]

You are wrong, those size ships/boats are designed to flex. The Fitz should not been approved to haul a summer weight load in November

[@Spike-sk7ql]

If they would have designed the boat to not flex, it would have snapped in half well before Nov 10, 1975. Those boats are designed to flex. ALL large structures are designed to flex. Thats so they dont shatter. The problem with the Fitz is she wouldflex too much. And twist, and dogleg. The cargo hold didnt have any solid bulkheads. None of them did back then. After the Fitz went down, they all went in and had solid bulkheads put in the cargo holds to stiffen them up a bit. There was supposedly some steel laying at Frazier shipyard with the Fitz's name on it. That was supposed to be the "one last run" before she went up for the winter, and into dry dock to have repairs done. A very sad thing is that Captain McSorely was going to retire after the season was done. That would have been his last trip, after 40 years on the lakes. He was going to retire to take care of his sick wife.

[@redraiderrider3289]

WRONG. Those ships ARE designed to flex. Please do your research.

[@Orcrez]

Lake Superior also has almost no natural harbors for ships to hide in during storms so the ships have to endure the storms .

[@TheaSvendsen]

That’s horrifying! Especially when considering how many violent storms there are on the lake. I’ve been learning about the Great Lakes for a while now, and I’m both amazed and terrified of just how crazy the weather can become! It’s like open water but on a lake.., I didn’t even know it could get so harsh on lakes. My point of reference is very tiny lakes compared to those, though.

[@CrewGuyPJ]

@@TheaSvendsen dont think of the Great Lakes as lakes...they are inland seas.

[@mellissadalby1402]

This is bot the first bulk carrier lake boat to break in half. There was also the SS Daniel J, Morrell, which broke in half during a storm in 1966, 9 years prior to the Fitzgerald. The Stern section continued to motor along for a bit and actually passed by some of the crew members who were then in a life raft. Oh, now you mention that.

[@HandyMan657]

The day a shipbuilder takes responsibility for a sinking will be the day we'll see cows flying without assistance.

[@vintagelady1]

Liability insurance generally does not pay if the insured somehow is responsible for the occurence. I expect that for this reason, companies are reluctant to "take responsibility" publicly when there is a disaster such as this one. And I'd expect them to put pressure on the investigating body to declare that it was not the company's fault---after all in many cases those doing the investigations have close ties to the industry they are investigating---that's how they gain their expertise. It's not right, but it may in some cases protect the payout to victims/families.

[@Bo-hb3eo]

Obviously, there is no way to know, but it’s still very eerie and unsettling. The picture in the first few minutes of the crew… There are 29 in the picture. Some of them were probably on the boat for sure. It’s so sad. I was 17 in 1975. I remember hearing about this.

[@wesleymcintyre1936]

When was this recorded?

[@davidmurphy8190]

@@wesleymcintyre1936 The original shots of her on the bottom were from 1976 (IIRC). The images were not published in open trade literature until much later. I didn’t have memberships in ASNE and SNAME until 1994.

[@CireAknow]

It seems there was still human error involved. It was human error on management's part to load the EF to being 4ft below the recommended water line. It would be interesting to see the simulations done with different depths below the waterline to see if the ship would have survived at 3ft or 2ft or the recommended level.

[@staatsfiend]

Ontario salvage yard Guy is known to Power Hour listeners with his tales of taking Strauss heart Drops and saving his life., I recognize his voice. I think it's Wayne Elliot.

[@staatsfiend]

Duh, If I waited a minute I'd a seen I was correct.

[@arnhemseptember2009]

That simulator stuff was really tense....

[@charlieross-BRM]

The hosts were only subjected to computer simulated waves that digitally cracked into nothing, and I was only experiencing that simulation on a computer monitor in the comfort of my home and I was getting wigged out. Well done. I've only been to St. John's for one day but it was unforgettable - a very unique place.

[@kirknay]

It's rogue waves that make me think the future of industrial and commercial shipping might actually be with submersibles as the climate gets more extreme in coming decades. You need some way to avoid these extreme and unpredictable hazards as storms continue to get more extreme themselves, and simply submerging maybe 10m is likely to be the best way to avoid the hazard altogether, as well as reducing the strain on the ship from waves altogether.

[@mp-ov9dh]

great presentation. Check out Captain Darrell Walton, his uncle went down with the Fitz. He is very knowledgeable on the great lakes and this particular tragedy.

[@iandavis1355]

I think there is a cover up. Why were survivors paid off so quickly and why such a fine for diving on the wreck. Combine that with huge inceases to payload....business owners were diving for cover.

[@sheepsfoot2]

And how would anybody possibly survive in such massive waves that broke such a huge ships hull . Aven the coastguard wouldn't go out into it .

[@stargazer5784]

The excessive fines are to keep private treasure hunters and salvors away from what are officially grave sites, recognized by both the Canadian and American governments. Insofar as shipwrecked sailors surviving in high seas, it's happened many times, especially during WW2. Study your history people.

[@Backwoods_Squatch]

There were no survivors. The Edmund went down with all hands. You cant dive on the wreck because it is a tomb. Look up why "Superior never gives up her dead."

[@denniscrane9753]

There is what you call summer load and winter load weight! The fitz was running way overloaded for the time of year! Typical human greed is basically the cause! Superior never gives up her dead because the cold water doesn’t allow for decomposition! The sailors continue to sail even after death!

[@zmirecki]

​@Backwoods_Squatch yet you can dive on the Carl D. Bradley and Daniel J. Morrell. Why the special treatment of the Fitz?

[@maestro-zq8gu]

I tried to research who Edmund Fitzgerald actually was. There wasn't much. Some rich guy.

[@brianrvd]

He was the president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, the company that owned the ship.

[@gunsaway1]

Excellent. Very sad to lose a ship and all those lives

[@jakebrakebill]

makes me think of Erin Brockovich

[@craigpelley]

This show is on youtube under 5-6 different titles

[@dimetime35c]

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead When the skies of November turn gloomy

[@HM2SGT]

*Can you imagine a 17th or 18th century Square rig ship encountering one of those rogue waves? It must've been like the close, personal wrath of God!*

[@DaveVsEvilDead]

"....not once was the mention of the human life, and that bothered me", this is a perfect example of greed.

[@DavidSachs-q3s]

It’s time for the USCG to update their report to exonerate the crew of the Fitzgerald.

[@PumpkinAngry]

I think she broke into if you go back and watch some of the older archived videos you can see the Hual of the ship actually move back and forth yes I understand there's supposed to be a little movement but

[@tomrunning357]

If the ship is twisting back and forth I could only guess that the cargo hatches could temporarily move out of alignment and breach the seal long enough for water to enter.

[@mike_holdread]

My belief is she was overloaded for the conditions she faced. Likely breaking in two on the surface.

[@stynger_OO7]

Morrell 3 cargo holds. Fitgerald 3 cargo holds. Anderson, 5 cargo holds.Structural integrity. .Rumoured there was One propeller blade was stored on the Fitz btwn hatch covers. In rough seas if it dislodged, it would have taken out hatch cover clamps and the railing Capt. McSorely reported to Anderson. And now, a no dive zone.

[@nb7466]

I thought there was no more diving on this wreck because it was deemed a cemetery by the families. Or am I wrong?

[@lukebrahler7802]

They are diving on the Daniel J Morrell. Similar style ship that sank in pretty much the same manner. The footage of the fitz is from the 90s before they deemed it a gravesite

[@kathygriffin9465]

Canada's the one that said no more diving

[@user-oz1fd1hz9d]

Because all the bodies are still on the Fitz.

[@goodbyemr.anderson5065]

Did you not listen to anything in this video?

[@RoxanneSharbono-mb8ol]

Strangers should not be allowed to dive there unless they have good reason, but if family members want to visit the gravesite, they should be allowed.

[@AmericanPatriot1776AP]

To the crew of the Edmond Fitzgerald, Rest In peace.

[@michaelsorber7859]

R.i.p Dennis Hale 1940 - 2015.

[@joepinto509]

From what I read ..there now saying a big wave hit the front and cause the ship to nose dive into the water .then the bow/ nose hit the lake bottom and all that force cause the ship break into two. . remember she was in shallow parts of the lake. .

[@gr8xr7]

Following seas

[@mellissadalby1402]

Ha! The Michipicoten recently split in her middle and while she did not sink, the company is planning to stick her back together with chewing gum and bailing wire to send her out again, and like the Carl D. Bradley, she is pretty much a rust bucket, and presents a danger to her crew in anything other than perfect weather.

[@J2ROOSTER]

Amateur question. If the ship broke at the lakes bottom wouldn't the ship be bent like a smile shape? And if at the surface a frown.

[@BigLisaFan]

The force of the impact tore it apart.

[@jeremycox571]

People need just to leave the Fitzgerald alone , let the crew Rest In Peace ,

[@invertthelab6532]

3:52 he looks like McGyver

[@farmrrick]

Maybe run a thousand more adds .

[@vintagelady1]

"Does anyone know where the love of god goes When the waves turn the minutes to hours?"

[@HM2SGT]

40:04 *My word! I wonder how many people get motion sickness?*

[@tdhooper3886]

I've seen this; How does it say it was posted a day ago?

[@ROOKTABULA]

_She might have split up or she might have capsized,_ _She may have broke deep and took water...._

[@mellissadalby1402]

Hang on there, is the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald not at a depth of about 160 meters? Isn't that too deep to dive on?

[@fireguy8466]

They need to go back to the wreck. Can you imagine if they did 3d scans like they did of titanic? Keeping it off limits is a bunch of BS.

[@goodbyemr.anderson5065]

Talk to the families of the lost sailors man, they are the ones that wanted this.

[@HM2SGT]

TAKE YOUR PAY ~ Dramtreeo by Jerry Cronin,© Southern Branch Music, BMI In February of 1983 the Marine Electric sank during a Winter storm off the Virginia Capes. The poor condition of the collier and the tragic loss of 32 of the 35-man crew prompted Jerry to write this song. Kiss your wives, kiss your sweethearts goodbye Kiss your sons and daughters too You're going to sail on a cargo line Not sure if you'll be coming through The hull she is rust and the hatches all sprung Six snatch blocks just to get one down And if that patch in the starboard side gives Well boys, we're all going to drown. But take your pay, take your pay There isn't much work to be had today American shipping, it ain't much any more Sailing those ships from the Second World War. She headed out with a cargo of coal Sailed past Chesapeake Light The mate on watch, he looked out at the waves Said "Boys we're in for a long night" He tried to keep her bow to the swell Prayed that God would show him how But there isn't much help from the heavens or from hell You can't steer when you're down by the bow. But take your pay... She went down but they don't know why Three men was all that made it through The company cried "She never should have sailed" But what was the Master to do? American ships with convenient flags All have their jobs to be done And if one man says that he won't sail today There's money will buy another one. But take your pay... Kiss your wives, kiss your sweethearts goodbye Kiss your sons and daughters too You're going to sail on a cargo line Not sure if you'll be coming through. But take your pay...

[@alexanderlennington4382]

1M fine to dive on the wreck? Family's paid off? People raised concern about safety? Common lol we've seen this before. Government/business cover-up all day long.

[@Chris-cv4tt]

So, the only difference between these two vessels is that you can dive on one but not the other? Doesn't make much sense to me.

[@gsdalpha1358]

The Fitz is famous so there'd be all sorts of scavengers taking pieces of her wreckage to sell on eBay.

[@user-oz1fd1hz9d]

The bodies of 28 out of 29 (1survived) in the Morrell were recovered. The bodies on the Fitz are still on the ship. One actually is on the lake bed lying next to the bow.

[@Chris-cv4tt]

Yeah, not buying any of it. Over 40 people died on the Andrea Doria and a bunch of other ships over the years but people dived (and plundered) them with zero complaint. The only difference is a song was written and became a hit so people felt for the families. It would be nice if they actually let someone do some photogrammetry for further and potentially final analysis. I find it also strange that they allowed for that operation to retrieve the bell and weld on a replacement but yet didnt even try to retrieve the one body plainly there to bring him home.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

​@@gsdalpha1358 the Fitz is in over 500' of water. Not many people have the means to get anywhere near it. To dive it, you would need certificates that are basically out of reach for your typical recreational diver.

[@Spike-sk7ql]

​@@user-oz1fd1hz9d so then what about the Kamloops? You can dive on that. It went down with all hands. You can even go into the engine room, and take a selfie with "Old Whitey", a victim of the sinking who is trapped inside the engine room. Can see his wedding ring, and everything. But for some reason, you still cant go to the Fitzgerald. You can go to the Titanic! Over 1,000 people lost their lives in that sinking. But you cant even use sidescan sonar around the Fitzgerald. You also cand go diving around 6 fathom shoal, where Captain Bernie Cooper said he thought Captain McSorely was way too close to. Said he could have bottomed out there, and was taking on water from that point on. Why cant we dive around the shoal? I remember hearing somewhere that someone dove there back in the day, and you could see the red anti fouling paint on the rocks. But you cant go there, and see for yourself. Because Snow Mexico says so.

[@coldspring624]

The coast guard danced to the dollar

[@ThomasLee-ss4bv]

Was 13 years when she went down. But she is part of a long list of freighters to go down in superior. It's not true that they don't know why she went down. The maintenance record shows the problems, the evidence at the ship tells you what happened, the audio tells you what happened. This ship had some very troublesome issues that were patched. She should not have went out due to that storm. The company is at fault. But that ship cracked under the strain. She was taking on water. This is confirmed by the broken fence rail. It did not need to be a big wave to finish the job. She took enough water to submarine and the crew were all inside. The break-up shows this. Peace to the relatives. We need to stop beating this dead horse.

[@almirria6753]

The fencerail went down when she ran aground [and over the unmarked section of the shoal]

[@CrewGuyPJ]

that "rail" is woven steei cable...they are anchored on both ends///the only way you can snap it is by pulling it tight, IE "hogging" the ship upward in the middle.

[@almirria6753]

@@CrewGuyPJ And that is when she ran aground on the mischarted reef. And then a very short time afterwards she got hit by the 3 Sisters that drover her bow into the lake bottom. Multi injuries to her, if taken one at a time, she would have survived, but when hit all at the same time, it was fatal

[@CrewGuyPJ]

@@almirria6753 As Bernie Cooper said, the Fitz was sinking from 3:10 in the afternoon on. They did a survey of the 6Fathom area not that long after and found no marks of the ship hitting the bottom. IMO, She got hogged up by fluid dynamics. The Center of Fitz was over the shallow part of the shoal and with the wind coming from behind, it pushed a volume of water into the area and thats when the fence "rails" snapped. McSorley reported the Fitz had taken a list. Hence Cooper's comment. After 6 pm, when McSorley said this was the worst he'd ever seen, Fitz had lost so much freeboard and had settled so deep, she was sluggish leading McSorley to beleive the storm, which was bad, was seemingly worse than it was. After the 6 Fathom deal, Cooper asked if he had his pumps on and Ernest said yes. Cooper said later, McSorley told him he wasnt gaining anything meaning the water was coming in as fast, or faster than they were pumping it out. Cooper said after getting hit by the double 30' waves, " I just wonder if they rolled up his deck...and the water sat on the forward cabin..and hes got a list...that it put the bow down into the water and the screw drove her right into the bottom". Ive read Coopers testimony, have read every book from McGinnis to Stonehouse, I am by no means a professional, but I have a pretty good picture of how things happened.

[@Lynchfan88]

They mention the Morrell has been down there for 40 years.but if it sank in '66 isn't that 58 years? Or, was this filmed in '06? The footage doesn't look like it's from '06 or '07.

[@bombadillo]

It’s from 2010. Dive Detectives Season 1 Ep 1.

[@Lynchfan88]

@@bombadillo Interesting and I'll trust your judgement as I'm not familiar w/that show. To me the modern footage doesn't look like it's nearly 15 years old.

[@squiggymcsquig6170]

The largest freshwater surface in the world is not Lake Superior. Lakes Michigan and Huron are only separate by name and on maps. In reality, they are actually one lake that, as a whole, is far larger than Superior.

[@brentcollins9727]

A rogue wave swept away the bass player of the Canadian rock group Loverboy.