Who was involved?
During the time, Ernest McSorely was the captain of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. He took command of the ship in 1972, and he would be the last captain of the ship. 28 other crew members sank with the ship, and at the time they did not know the ship was sinking or there would have been a distress call. Twenty-nine brave men lost their lives on November 10, 1975. All 29 crew members aboard the Edmund Fitzgerald perished in the wreck and up to this day, no human remains have ever been found or recovered. The site of the shipwreck is now a gravesite. Captain Ernest McSorely was, in fact, about to retire the year of the shipwreck. The Coast Guard, with no available search ships, radios the Arthur M. Anderson requesting assistance.
C.G.: "Anderson, this is Group Soo. What is your present position?" Anderson: "We're down here, about two miles off Parisienne Island right now... the wind is northwest forty to forty-five miles here in the bay." C.G.: "Is it calming down at all, do you think?" Anderson: "In the bay it is, but I heard a couple of the salties talking up there, and they wish they hadn't gone out." |
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The brave men who lost that night:
Name | Age | Occupation On Board | Hometown |
Michael E. Armagost | 37 | Third Mate | Iron River, Wisconsin |
Frederick J. Beetcher | 56 | Porter | Superior, Wisconsin |
Thomas D. Bentsen | 23 | Oiler | St. Joseph, Michigan |
Edward F. Bindon | 47 | First Assistant Engineer | Fairport Harbor, Ohio |
Thomas D. Borgeson | 41 | Maintenance Man | Duluth, Minnesota |
Oliver J. Champeau | 41 | Third Assistant Engineer | Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin |
Nolan S. Church | 55 | Porter | Silver Bay, Minnesota |
Ransom E. Cundy | 53 | Watchman | Superior, Wisconsin |
Thomas E. Edwards | 50 | Second Assistant Engineer | Oregon, Ohio |
Russell G. Haskell | 40 | Second Assistant Engineer | Millbury, Ohio |
George J. Holl | 60 | Chief Engineer | Cabot, Pennsylvania |
Bruce L. Hudson | 22 | Deck Hand | North Olmsted Ohio |
Allen G. Kalmon | 43 | Second Cook | Washburn, Wisconsin |
Gordon F. MacLellan | 30 | Wiper | Clearwater, Florida |
Joseph W. Mazes | 59 | Special Maintenance Man | Ashland, Wisconsin |
John H. McCarthy | 62 | First Mate | Bay Village, Ohio |
Ernest M. McSorley | 63 | Captain | Toledo, Ohio |
Eugene W. O'Brien | 50 | Wheelsman | Toledo, Ohio |
Karl A. Peckol | 20 | Watchman | Ashtabula, Ohio |
John J. Poviach | 59 | Wheelsman | Bradenton, Florida |
James A. Pratt | 44 | Second Mate | Lakewood, Ohio |
Robert C. Rafferty | 62 | Steward | Toledo, Ohio |
Paul M. Riippa | 22 | Deck Hand | Ashtabula, Ohio |
John D. Simmons | 63 | Wheelsman | Ashland, Wisconsin |
William J. Spengler | 59 | Watchman | Toledo, Ohio |
Mark A. Thomas | 21 | Deck Hand | Richmond Heights, Ohio |
Ralph G. Walton | 58 | Oiler | Fremont, Ohio |
David E. Weiss | 22 | Cadet | Agoura, California |
Blaine H. Wilhelm | 52 | Oiler | Moquah, Wisconsin |