From The Archives, 1975: Edmund Fitzgerald Sinks In Lake Superior | NBC Nightly News

The freighter ship S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior 45 years ago in 1975, killing 29 crew members. Watch Nightly News coverage from this day.
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#EdmundFitzgerald #LakeSuperior #NBCNews
From The Archives, 1975: Edmund Fitzgerald Sinks In Lake Superior | NBC Nightly News

[@billhansen3211]

I shot this arial footage and the interview with the Coast Guard official when I worked for KBJR-6 in 1975. Reporter, Ray Niekamp, and I rented and airplane and flew out of Duluth to be over the wreck at dawn. We landed in Sault Ste. Marie and hung out at the Coast Guard station for a few hours. When we got back to the airport, we were informed the NBC's Rebecca Bell and crew were waiting for us in Duluth to use our footage as the day's lead story on the NBC Nightly News. It was a sad day for everyone, but especially the family and friends of the crew.

[@Hissyspit]

I was thirteen years old, living in Alaska, but I must not have watched the news that night, or even heard the story on the radio, because I didn’t find out about the wreck until the song came out.

[@theneonlights1788]

How did you feel about the song that was made about it?

[@billhansen3211]

@@theneonlights1788 It is, of course, a great song, as evidenced by its enduring popularity. It isn't totally accurate, but that is poetic license. It serves to keep the memory of the lost loved ones alive--although I'm sure that's a two edged sword.

[@ccjohncc1]

@@billhansen3211 Well said Bill.. I also noticed how accurate the Coast Gaurd Captain was speculating she may have broke in half which is exactly what had happened.

[@CrazyChrisGreen]

I have been in radio a big part of my life and every November 10th I always make it a point to play that song, plus I hear radio stations everywhere playing that song on that same date..

[@steveoatway7001]

In 1988 I was living in Toronto, just recently separated. I met a woman who invited me to her family's big Christmas Dinner by Queenston Heights on the Niagara River. In conversation there I mentioned how I loved Gordon Lightfoot's song and had just recently watched a documentary on the tragic sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The room fell completely silent and I froze for a second not knowing why. The father spoke first quietly saying, "My brother went down on that ship". The conversation quickly changed and I felt awful but later the brothers told me about him and how the family felt that not only was the sinking the company's fault but afterwards they were treated disrespectfully and no one in the family had spoken that ships name since 1975.

[@johnhurd6243]

I cry BS

[@johnhurd6243]

@@steveoatway7001 I wonder why people like you exist. Want your 15 seconds of fame. If they were treated badly by the company they'd be the only ones.

[@damanyocum149]

Thank you for your story...it shows a true human face on what happened that terrible day in November 1975 😢☹️

[@bobcarlsson4]

@@johnhurd6243 so $600 is what each of their lives were worth?

[@hinkson7512]

RIP to all the men my Condolence goes out to there family’s hugs from SC

[@ryanhampson673]

Everyone from Michigan knows this story and its testament to respect the Great Lakes..They are inland oceans.

[@jerkweed2518]

You are correct. Amen .

[@Cadolots]

Believe me people from Duluth know this story also

[@rainsweptflower]

RIP to the crew and ship Love to the families and friends Respect to Lake Superior

[@rustyrelicsfarm2406]

45 years since the disaster.

[@brienfoaboutanything9037]

True information about SS Edmund Fitzgerald: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJvXeY18d559mbs

[@jamespmcguire4355]

3 days ago ( 9 /4/21) I was at Edison park along St. Clair river in Port Huron Mi. When the Arthur M.Anderson freighter passed under the Blue Water Bridge .... What an eerie sight to see.Almost like ghost ship coming out of the fog.

[@clearlycaribbeanreb7176]

The Toledo Express was an Ohio boat. The news of the Big Fitz hit us hard here.

[@kickinbackinOC]

Wow, its like Gordon Lightfoot got the lyrics right from this newsclip! Respect to the sailors and their families.

[@richgouette]

yeah, I just watched this for the 1st time, & thought the same thing!

[@johnboehmer6683]

To see the account of it being broadcast on the news takes it from a really good song about a horrible tragedy to the stark reality that it actually happened, and just doubles down on the devastation of it all.

[@rawekulture5188]

The Big Fitz was delivering a load of Tactonite to my grandfathers work, Great Lakes Steel Ecorse. After that they were to go overwinter...

[@ilmsff7]

Seeing the ore boats from the air, you really appreciate how long they are.

[@batsc1k]

You can see them come down the river through Bay City and being that close is awe-inspiring

[@PhirePhlame]

It's a strange feeling to watch the archived news reports that first broke the stories of events that I've only ever heard as old tales.

[@paularyche]

I was 6 in Mi. Remember watching this live and looking out our picture window it was soooo dark and the snow flakes were whipin...It was my 1st experience I recall with death.

[@mediawarrior5957]

Seen the life boat in a museum, it is beaten to all heck. That had to be the mother of all storms.

[@BuckeyeNationRailroader]

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee" The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead when the skies of November turn gloomy With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty, that big ship and true was a bone to be chewed when the Gales of November came early The ship was the pride of the American side coming back from some mill in Wisconsin As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most with a crew and good captain well seasoned, concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms when they left fully loaded for Cleveland And later that night when the ship's bell rang, could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'? The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound and a wave broke over the railing And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too 'twas the witch of November come stealin' The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait when the Gales of November came slashin' When afternoon came it was freezin' rain in the face of a hurricane west wind When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin' "Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya" At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said, "Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!" The captain wired in he had water comin' in and the good ship and crew was in peril And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald Does any one know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours? The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er They might have split up or they might have capsized; they may have broke deep and took water And all that remains is the faces and the names of the wives and the sons and the daughters Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings in the rooms of her ice-water mansion Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams; the islands and bays are for sportsmen And farther below Lake Ontario takes in what Lake Erie can send her, And the iron boats go as the mariners all know with the Gales of November remembered In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed, in the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee" "Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early"

[@gens0kyo]

Hi

[@jdtractorman7445]

It didn't say it lost two hatch covers, it had lost two vents going to the cargo hold or ballast tanks, I'm not sure which.

[@r.denisemyers9347]

Every time I listen to Gordon Lightfoot singing this song, I cry. It's as if we were looking on while it was happening.

[@scottmccambley764]

A great Canadian Rock Band "the Headstones" recently did a cool cover of GL's original classic thats going to be a classic in itself.

[@Rasjames11]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2mvc56Pn9Ocirc

[@Bald_Cat2007]

I have a question. Can someone give me the names of the ships that participated in the search for survivors from the fitzgerald. I know the Anderson and one of her 7 sisters the William Clay Ford, the coast guard cutter sundew and the SS Wilfred Sykes participated but I don't know of any other ships

[@joelhaydon3133]

The Roger Blough was one of the first on the scene in the early morning and ended up finding the inflatable lift raft. My dad was an engineer and my mom was taking a trip. She took pictures of them hauling the lift raft on to the Blough.

[@muffs55mercury61]

Back when America made it's own products and brave men and women toiled hard to get it to the front lines and manufacturing plants where they made the finished products for us. These 29 gave it all.

[@billnotice9957]

I sure NBC Brian Williams was onboard!

[@chipmacgill]

They don’t call him “lyin Brian” for nothin. You win the internet for the day!

[@republicanred4863]

Kind of like "Dip Chip"...no?

[@skyking6989]

Before or after he was on the helicopter

[@GC-fj4lc]

Ask a Mortician has a wonderfully informative video on the topic. She introduced me to the song too!

[@grayhatjen5924]

She did a really brilliant job on that one. I mean, she always does, but that whole episode... I liked how much extra stuff she covered.

[@tuxedotservo]

Wow, they were... so wrong. Early reporting not always the best reporting. No call from Fitzgerald was put out saying they'd lost two hatch covers. That would be cause for an immediate Mayday - but no distress call was ever made. They lost two *vent covers* sometime before 3:30 PM, and also reported a fence rail down. The last radio report was: "We are holding our own" ...

[@MBX808]

Gordon Lightfoot !

[@corybigham6429]

The song later went on the chart in 1976.

[@eyeonit469]

And Gordon Lightfoot has kept up his support and friendship with the widows and families. A true gentle man

[@michellerangi1104]

This story haunts me for some reason. I was only 12 and lived in NZ but I still think of her and the crew. RIP.

[@paularyche]

I was 6 living in Mi. And remember this live.

[@rockylombardo6978]

I went to school with a kid that's grandfather was the cook on that last voyage, he was actually retired filling in , to make some extra cash I'm sure, never knowing his fate, and the usual cook probably was amazed at his luck of calling off for that one trip, and yet survivors guilt probably crushed his soul, which is sad but understandable, but he wasn't responsible it's the way that life went at that time .

[@WIJoe1]

Rocky Lombardo, I've been close friends with the "Old Cook's" daughter for over 20 years, and have actually rung the ship's bell to honor him.

[@oscarkoop2548]

46 years today

[@mestopholies]

Nov 10th every year we light a candle to remember the crew

[@explorer1968]

A total tragedy and a total mystery what the freighter went into!

[@amoscriz]

R.I.P. fellows.

[@mikeavery997]

May God rest the souls of the 29 men who perished that fateful night 🙏

[@hambam7533]

they lost two vent covers not two hatch covers and the Anderson was not her sister ship but the ship she was talking with before she went down

[@rosalia4770]

michigander in the house!!

[@Stalkergames916]

Same here

[@rogershahan3342]

The rear of the ship is inverted , that is where the bodies will be found. The rear part has the crew quarters , the galley and the engine room

[@joelhaydon3133]

8 up front, 21 aft.

[@twintornados]

God bless the 29 souls lost that day and prayers to the wives and the sons and the daughters... "Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours.." - Gordon Lightfoot "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

[@saoirsecushing5212]

You would probably like my playlist..

[@DKrueger1994]

"We're holding on our own..." "Fellas... it's been good to know ya..."

[@user-gn3dh4pv1z]

My neighbor next door father was on the Fitz that night.

[@anthonytraficante9655]

Wow !! That coast guard was spot on it did split . Knows his stiff that guy

[@kidfnaf1.072]

Just like titanic it split i know about it because i was watching videos about her but shes a ship to never forget.

[@dwdorothy]

I am from Youngstown Ohio and I and I am a bowling green falcon

[@cooldloop2381]

Fair winds and following seas.

[@MerkinMuffly]

25 foot waves and iron ore just don't mix.

[@pakde8002]

I remember that so well. 1974 was another crazy year.

[@lesschoenberger3070]

1975

[@falcondragonslayer]

There is so much incorrect info in this. First, neither of the shops that went out to search for the Fitzgerald were it’s sister, second, the last words heard from Fitzgerald was ‘We are holding our own’ not a transmission about the condition of the vessel.

[@ChristieAdamsKangoo]

This was a mere 24 hours after the Fitzgerald sank, so yes, a lot of the information coming in turned out to be incorrect. And to be fair, it was thought for a long time afterwards that at least one of the hatches had blown. Hence Gordon Lightfoot penning the line "At 7PM a main hatchway caved in".

[@stevenvarga4157]

looking for the Doug Adair story out of Cleveland ,,WKYC

[@loganbaileysfunwithtrains606]

Why is it always 29 men eerie number I suppose

[@dwdorothy]

This is awful. I cry anytime I hear the Gordon Lightfoot song

[@TheDisabledGamersChannel]

Theres an old song about the edmund fitgerald, it's sad but a well done song, tells the whole story, the song is called "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6e2hWmei7edaKM

[@johnhurd6243]

Really???

[@skipmilligan]

This is great.

[@josephevans9247]

The big Fitz did not loose 2 hatch covers on the surface bad reporting

[@jacksp1787]

Divers found many hatch covers got opened, letting tons of water in.

[@johnboehmer6683]

Yeah, but you can't even imagine the pressure produced upon a ship going underwater rapidly like that. It is not evidence of incompetency in clamping them down, they likely blew open under water.

[@jacksp1787]

@@johnboehmer6683 That's not how I remember the documentary, but it was a long time ago. I will search for it again to refresh my memory.

[@jacksp1787]

@@johnboehmer6683 : Well, I watched a long documentary and a few shorter clips, and "We've lost some fence [=railing] and some vents [2?]" was radioed by the captain to another captain [on tbe Anderson]. "Some hatch covers [too/also] was mentioned in another version. The US Coast Guard did some hi-pressure water tests on similar hatch covers and found that the gaskets were loose on several samples. When all is said and done, the actual sequence of events leading to taking on water, listing to starboard, and sinking fast with 26,000 tons of iron ore in her belly will remain a mystery. Evidently there are some more recent studies, which I will watch at another time.

[@johnboehmer6683]

@@jacksp1787 I've seen some stuff on it also, and what I saw was that the company that owned the Fitzgerald did their own initial investigation, and they were the ones who made the claim that the hatch covers were loose, thus why they got opened, and the water came in topside. In effect, they were blaming the crew for the whole thing to avoid the fact that that ship had no business going out that late with that storm forecast, and the ship in need of repair. But actual freighter crew men defended the crew, saying there is no way that this could have been the case. Those hatch covers were so heavy they would basically stay in place without even being clamped down at all, and the Fitzgerald crew had an impeccable reputation for following all protocol. In addition, another Captain said that the amount of water that could have entered even if they were loose would be so insignificant as to not possibly be the cause of the sinking. The Fitzgerald bottomed out on a shoal near Isle Royale. The captain of the Anderson gave the most acceptable theory (to me anyhow), saying they were taking on water from below because of this, in addition to the fact that the ship was not in good repair even as they set out. With all that extra weight, the ship just wasn't able to come up from the steep dive brought about by those massive sister waves that he said they just barely survived themselves, and they were headed right for the Fitzgerald. Almost certainly though, they did not lose the hatch covers BEFORE the wreck. You're right though, we'll never know for sure...

[@whiteroom3222]

😣😣😣

[@Lex-my5ch]

Learned a song about this sinking in elementary school...it was on my mind just yesterday 🤔 didn’t know it was Simon and Garfunkel 🤷🏾‍♀️ until today!!

[@robertsterett4260]

It was Gordon Lightfoot.

[@pakde8002]

Not sure what song you're talking about but the most well known song about the disaster was by Gordon Lightfoot. Okay, just did a quick search and indeed they got back together and did a cover of the song. Learn something new every day

[@pakde8002]

@@robertsterett4260 apparently S&G did a cover at their reunion performance. That was probably amazing

[@Lex-my5ch]

@@robertsterett4260 thank you, sir!!

[@MoctezumasRevenge1]

Link to performance??

[@Quote-Unquote.]

They eventually found a crew member. Here's a link kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2HFdnSLesitodk Also, they did honor him

[@falcondragonslayer]

The Anderson is the Fitzgerald’s sister?

[@lesschoenberger3070]

No

[@falcondragonslayer]

@@lesschoenberger3070 yeah I didn’t think so. The sister was Arthur B Homer. Anderson’s sisters were built several years before fitzgerald

[@bigcmcg3946]

She didn’t hit bottom.

[@beedalton9675]

I sail by her every trip on superior and yes she did big crack around the bow... Look at the video footage

[@bigcmcg3946]

@@beedalton9675 it was a structural failure due to the storm. Her hull was not well welded to her frame like a snake in too big of skin. There are a few videos showing this and quite a few more recent publications and interviews stating such.

[@dannyh8288]

But this is NBC so can we really believe it?

[@travelingman4983]

Im surprised Trump hasnt been blamed for the sinking yet 👍👍👍😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂

[@joelhaydon3133]

Are you? Trump sank all 6 of his ships and is about to sink his daddies Titanic. But yeah, this is not a joking matter.

[@SUPERAFRASIABI89]

BIDEN 2020

[@DT-wp2yc]

China Joe Biden for the people that want to live like China!!!!!!!!

[@joeskis]

Wouldn't be surprised if Biden announces soon he has the solution to fixing the Fitzgerald's problem.

[@DT-wp2yc]

@@joeskis the only thing China Joe Biden can fix is an election. He tried 2 times before a lied! This time he just fixed it!

[@zerstorediesonne4155]

this reminds me of bidens "presidency"

[@davidpallin772]

Christ, really, you are in need of some kind of help.

[@sj49770]

You remind me of something I once saw stuck to a public lavatory seat.

[@abby54]

Guard your hearts and your thoughts, the devil is furious because he knows that his time is very very short. We are on the last days of the evil. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. The Lord your God is the God of the living, not of the dead. Faith without deed is dead. Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. "Matthew 5-7 NIV Bible Gateway", we can use google search. These are the teachings, The Righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ our God. REPENT, and start doing what is right. If you abide my teachings, you are really my disciples; then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. A time is coming and has now come, that the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. God is Spirit, so his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and Truth; they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. In the New Heaven and New Earth, only Righteousness dwells. May the Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ our God be with you all.

[@wolfblitzer1981]

I can't remember this then again I was born in 1981 🤣 BTW its a joke you snowflakes god rest the victims 🙏

[@therealkevan8158]

Mike Pompeo / Peter Navarro 2024

[@zacharyp6980]

Gross.

[@pakde8002]

That's actually frightening

[@RoadTripzz14]

POMPEO 2024 - He is tanned, rested and clinically obese.

[@mtl-ss1538]

@@RoadTripzz14 Hauling in NZ . kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGOVgY2oe56lbcU .2020 haulage. 57 tons. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJWvfKesZciSprs .. highway haulage..50 tons kzbin.info/www/bejne/p4KZoIOnqceFp6s . NZ-Timber trucks 150 tons kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXithapmbN6FfMk .. 57 ton chip hauler . kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3q7oI2wm6d9gZI ..200 ton off highway loggers , kzbin.info/www/bejne/nV6ln6qvd7Bofs0 .Classic trucking.39T