Has the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald been found?

Asked by: Patrice Morgan

The entire crew of 29 people died when the vessel sank. No bodies were ever recovered from the wreckage. Later when the wreck was found, it was discovered that the ship had broken in two. It still sits on the bottom of Lake Superior at 530 feet deep.

When was the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald found?

May 20 to 28, 1976

From May 20 to 28, 1976, the U.S. Navy dived on the wreck using its unmanned submersible, CURV-III, and found Edmund Fitzgerald lying in two large pieces in 530 feet (160 m) of water.

Where is the wreckage of the Edmund Fitzgerald?

The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald lies at the bottom of the southeastern portion of Lake Superior in 530 feet of water.

Was anything recovered from the Edmund Fitzgerald?

Canadian songwriter Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the loss of the Fitzgerald and all 29 aboard with his 1976 hit song “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” On July 4, 1995, divers recovered the Fitzgerald’s bell from the bottom of Lake Superior, replacing it with a replica engraved with the names of the crew.

What were the final words ever transmitted from the Edmund Fitzgerald?

“We’re holding our own, going along like an old shoe.” – Last transmission from the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Are there still bodies in the Edmund Fitzgerald?

No bodies were ever recovered from the wreckage. Later when the wreck was found, it was discovered that the ship had broken in two. It still sits on the bottom of Lake Superior at 530 feet deep. Conditions on the Great Lakes can be extremely treacherous and can produce high waves.

Can you dive the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald?

The Fitzgerald was not Illegal to dive at that time. However, in 2006, the Canadian Government passed a Law the will not allow anyone to dive it and two other shipwrecks in Canadian waters of Lake Superior. There is a one Million Dollar fine for diving it!

Are there any movies about the Edmund Fitzgerald?

Shipwreck: The Mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald (1995) – Turner Classic Movies.

How big were the waves that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald?

18 to 25 feet

Around the time the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, the wind was blowing around 50 mph, with gusts reported by the Anderson of 70 to 75 mph, and waves of 18 to 25 feet.

Did the Edmund Fitzgerald split in half?

Students of the sinking say it is because there were no witnesses to the disaster and because of the ship’s horribly sudden demise. The Fitzgerald did not drift gently beneath the surface; it nose-dived almost straight down, striking the bottom with such force that it ripped in half.

What is the deepest point of Lake Superior?

The deepest point in Lake Superior (about 40 miles north of Munising, Michigan) is 1,300 feet (400 meters) below the surface.

How big were the waves that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald?

18 to 25 feet

Around the time the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, the wind was blowing around 50 mph, with gusts reported by the Anderson of 70 to 75 mph, and waves of 18 to 25 feet.

How many shipwrecks are in Lake Superior?

Of the estimated 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes region, only about 350 of them are located in Lake Superior. Of those, about 50 wrecks are presumed to be within Minnesota waters. Most of Minnesota’s shipwreck history can be found in Lake Superior. Many wrecks have been located, but at least half lay undiscovered.

Why do they say Lake Superior never gives up her dead?

Lightfoot sings that “Superior, they said, never gives up her dead”. This is because of the unusually cold water, under 36 °F (2 °C) on average around 1970. Normally, bacteria decaying a sunken body will bloat it with gas, causing it to float to the surface after a few days.

Is there an underground lake under Lake Superior?

As we determined this past week with several arduous dives, the caves lead to a vast underground lake. This is undoubtedly Sir Duluth’s ‘Lac d’Enfer,’ and the same lake which swallowed poor William Bitter in 1870.

How long do bodies last in Lake Superior?

Bodies have been retrieved almost completely intact from waters below 44 degrees after several weeks, and as recognizable skeletons after five years.

How many bodies are found in Lake Superior?

Lake Superior Bodies

There an 350 shipwrecks in Lake Superior and an estimated 10,000 people have died in the icy waters, but as legend says, Lake Superior never gives up her dead. Underwater bacteria feed on human remains and create gas which causes bodies to float back to the surface.

What is at the bottom of Lake Superior?

The bottom of Lake Superior has an estimated 550 shipwrecks. Estimates of around 10,000 people have been lost to the lake. One of the worst wrecks came from the Ophelia, a steamer that sank in 1854. The Ophelia carried 150 passengers and crew when she went down in a storm.

What lives at the bottom of Lake Superior?

The deepwater sculpin lives and feeds on the bottom of the lake and is a food source for siscowet lake trout. Both of these fish can be found in waters exceeding one thousand feet in depth in Lake Superior.

Are there sharks in Lake Superior?

Though extremely rare, sharks have been spotted in fresh water areas before. As we know, Lake Superior is very cold especially this time of year.

What is the biggest fish in Lake Superior?

Lake sturgeon

Lake sturgeon are the largest fish in Lake Superior. They among the oldest fish in the lake too. Did you know that a lake sturgeon can live to be older than 100 years? This species of fish has also been around for a long time—about 150 million years.

Were there pirates on the Great Lakes?

The Great Lakes pirates were some of the most fearsome and burly of any waters on the map. These swashbucklers ruled the high fresh-water seas and made their living sailing and searching for treasure not known to Jack Sparrow – lumber, illegal alcohol and wild-game meat.

Can you drink Lake Superior water?

Do you drink the lake water? Lake Superior is the cleanest of the Great Lakes, and many people drink the water regularly (even in their homes). On trip, the decision is yours. For your safety we bring a high quality water filter or boil our water.

What is the dirtiest Great Lake?

Lake Erie

Of all of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie had become predominantly polluted by the 1960s, largely due to the heavy industrial presence along its shores. With 11.6 million people living in its basin, and with big cities and sprawling farmland dominating its watershed, Lake Erie is severely impacted by human activities.

What is the deadliest lake on Earth?

Lake Nyos

Lake Nyos is a crater lake in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. It’s a deep lake high on the crater rim of an extinct volcano in Cameroon’s Oku volcanic plain. Although it may appear to many as an ordinary lake, it is considered the world’s deadliest.

Which Great Lake is cleanest?

Lake Superior

Watershed’s surface: 209,000 square kms. Lake Superior is the largest, cleanest, and wildest of all the Great Lakes.

Is Lake Erie a dead lake?

Although small in volume, Lake Erie is a thriving, productive environment. It has survived challenges brought about by pollution, over-fishing, eutrophication, invasive species and harmful algal blooms.

What’s the deepest lake in the US?

Crater Lake

At 1,943 feet (592 meters), Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and one of the deepest in the world. The depths were first explored thoroughly in 1886 by a party from the U.S. Geological Survey.