I resent the HELL outta the nipping away at Gordon Lightfoot's errors in the song. He was so deeply moved by the story, he wrote his beautiful song very soon after hearing about the wreck, and reading the details in Newsweek.There wouldn't have been the interest in the Fitzgerald  that there is without Gordon's evocative song. And acquiring the funds to retrieve the bell? Impossible without the influence of the song that hit #2 on Billboard's Hot Hundred.  When I was told by my doctors that I was in remission from the spinal cancer I'd been fighting since age 15, I promised myself and my BFF we would go see Gordon Lightfoot in concert. During his midpoint break, he came down to the front edge of the stage. We were right there, but at 4'9 and a bit, I didnt think I stood a prayer of shaking his hand. But Gord noticed a BIG guy kinda shoving us aside, and he said, "Aw..come on, fella! Be a gentleman and let these little ladies move up!" We did, and I stretched my arm as far as I could, calling out "Gord!" He smiled and reached down and took my hand, patting it between his other hand. I called out"I love you, Gordon!" He smiled and mouthed, "Love you too!" When he released my hand, I found one of his signature guitar picks in my palm. I brought it to my lips and kissed it...and he tilted his head and kissed his fingertips at us.
Then he was gone.
So...BACK OFF with your criticisms of Gordon Lightfoot! He was a true gentleman and Gentle Man...a balladeer and troubadour for our time.
And he's gone, now....playing cards and telling tall tales with the 29 crewmen of The EDMUND FITZGERALD. Forever sailing together....

When I put myself in the shoes of a family member, I would 100% want to know why that ship sank and how it sank. I would want to know if my love one's body was found. Outside of that, the wreck is a scientific and historic site. Learning why the ship sank is important. Keeping it a historic site is important. Just like the Arizona in Pearl Harbor, it's very important that future generations have the opportunity to know ALL the facts of this historic wreck. "Superior they said never gives up her dead" and that is absolutely true. Those 29 souls will always rest there regardless of how many dives are made or how much video is recorded. You can't "disturb" them.

I love when news stations make cool stuff like this.

They keep saying absolutely not, absolutely not, absolutely not, but then they admit they don't know. Their argument isn't very convincing...

From many reports the Edmund Fitzgerald had been abused throughout her life. The Coast Guard allowed her to carry heavier and heavier loads as her owners sought fame for hauling record loads. At the time of her final sailing, she was in need of repairs that were put off until her winter layup. She was loaded too heavy for that time of year and riding lower in the water than she should have been. Bernie Cooper of the Arthur M Anderson told about waves across his deck that were feet deep and reported being hit by the Three Sisters (a series of 3 rogue waves) that were headed for the Fitz. He was convinced that those waves were the final straw for the Fitz. As an old American saying goes, the Fitz had been "rode hard and put away wet" one too many times.

Idk how Ric Mixter can say with such conviction "absolutely not" about so many things. You weren't there, dude.

I grew up in the Twin Cities, and though we were not living or directly reliant on the Great Lakes and its trade, this was a huge event for many. For me personally, Gordon Lightfoot's song a year later perfectly captured how I felt in 1975.

Under maintained
Over loaded for the design
Over loaded for the season
Pushing through a November gale

It’s not much of a mystery, greed sank Edmund Fitzgerald

Great production work. Thank you for sharing this Canadian-American shared history.

It fascinates me that this wreck is held to such a high standard in terms of protection when you think about other freighters that went down with a similar casualty rate, the Daniel J Morrell, the Carl D. Bradley and the James carruthers to name a few, all can be dived on and all were lost in storms, yet no one ever asked their families whether or not these sites should be off limits to diving and as a result, none are.

They always just show the pilot house and stern but never the actual break in the hull and the bottom of the stern to see if any grounding happened.. People would like the opportunity to see and judge for themselves!

As someone who grew up on whitefish bay and commercial fished the ”north shore " I know how the waves can come up so fast you just have no time to even think much less so anything. In the best of circumstances it's scary for a seasoned hand, if you not seasoned, I promise that you will be throwing your pants and underwear away. The brown splotch will be big. There are many different opinions on how she sank. My opinion is the three sisters got her. They almost got me a few times. It's three waves in succession with the first on catching you by surprise and really swamping you bad. The second one comes out of nowhere and is bigger than the first. The third on, well it's the biggest. And you probably on your way to the bottom already but this wave is merciless. It's a monster that even in the day in sight of Land,  you won't be in sight of anything but dead relatives and God. I am 56 now and still have nightmares of those three waves. I'm convinced that's what got her.

I cant imagin being a family member and not wanting to know every detail on why it sank

We have had ships break up on the surface.  The Daniel J Morrell.   It did not do what the Fitzgerald did.   It dove down and struck the bottom.  That is why it's remains is still on the coordinate it was sailing, 125 degrees.

I encourage you to watch the videos of Captain Darrel Walton, his uncle died on the fitz. He has uncovered many many things about the ship and the sinking. It has come to light that there was in fact a distress call but not in a traditional sense.

My dad searched for it on the William Clay Ford. Hatches were sealed by a heavy coating of ice. Bottom leaking after hitting Six Fathom Shoal [pumps on, and a list after going to close to Caribou Island]. Big wave from behind reported by Cooper hitting him, hit the Fitz 7 minutes later. all ships overloaded a foot more than designed - load lines. 'Absolutely not' guy is full of it. Heading to 'unload' at Cleveland.

Thank you for posting.

I wish the families would allow research into why it sank. It could be valuable information.

Thank you.  I remember that night quite well .

Hard to believe it broke on the surface when 200 feet of the midsection disintegrated.
A fence rail down and a list by caribou island. Bernie Cooper knew what happened.