Are there still bodies on 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.

Are there bodies 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 happens to bodies in sunken ships?

Putrefaction and scavenging creatures will dismember the corpse in a week or two and the bones will sink to the seabed. There they may be slowly buried by marine silt or broken down further over months or years, depending on the acidity of the water.

Can you dive down to the Edmund Fitzgerald?

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!

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.

Edmund Fitzgerald Crewman Discovered

Why is it illegal to dive to the Edmund Fitzgerald?

Also, it has been illegal to dive to the wreck since 2006, unless approved by the Canadian government in whose waters it lies. This is because of successful lobbying by the victims' families to keep the wreck sacrosanct.

Where is the bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald now?

The bell is now on display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum as a memorial to her lost crew.

How deep is the water where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down?

Shortly after 7:10 p.m. on Nov. 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly sank in Canadian (Ontario) waters 530 feet (160 metres) deep after encountering a severe storm on Lake Superior.

What is the deepest part 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 many people went down with the Edmund Fitzgerald?

On November 10, 1975 the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior. All 29 crew members died. At the time, it was the worst shipping disaster on the Great Lakes in 11 years.

Are skeletons ever found in shipwrecks?

Six Skeletons Found in Wreck of 18th-Century Pirate Ship Sunk Off Cape Cod. Archaeologists in Cape Cod have recovered six skeletons from the ruins of the Whydah, a British pirate ship that sank during a 1717 storm with 146 men—and a trove of treasures—on board.

Are there skeletons on the Titanic?

No one has found human remains, according to the company that owns the salvage rights. But the company's plan to retrieve the ship's iconic radio equipment has sparked a debate: Could the world's most famous shipwreck still hold remains of passengers and crew who died a century ago?

Why do bodies sink in Lake Superior?

Normally, bacteria decaying a sunken body will bloat it with gas, causing it to float to the surface after a few days. But Lake Superior's water is cold enough year-round to inhibit bacterial growth, and bodies tend to sink and never resurface.

Are there bodies in Lake Tahoe?

Bodies Are Preserved In The Lake's Low Temperature

At depths between 600 and 700 feet, Lake Tahoe consistently stays around 39 degrees Fahrenheit. This prevents gasses that lead to decomposition from being released into the body.

Are there bodies in Lake Michigan?

Published: Apr. 28, 2022, 5:00 a.m. Bodies have been washing up on the shores of Lake Michigan and rivers around Chicago. In fact, according to The Chicago Tribune, the bodies of three women and one man washed up in just a single week earlier this month.

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.

What lives at the bottom of Lake Superior?

The study focused on three key fish that inhabit the deepwater environment of Lake Superior: the siscowet lake trout, deepwater sculpin, and kiyi. The siscowet lake trout is a form of lake trout found in the deepest waters of Lake Superior and is sometimes regarded as a subspecies to the lean lake trout.

What does Gitche Gumee mean?

Today in Ojibwe language class, thanks to dialectic differences, you are more likely to see gichi-gami, gitchi-gami or kitchi-gami for Lake Superior. Loosely, it does indeed mean “Big Sea” or “Huge Water,” but just about always refers to Lake Superior.

Can you dive to the bottom of Lake Superior?

The current venture marks the first time Superior has been probed to such depths. Most human divers have gone no deeper than 300 feet. At one point, the sub will descend 1,330 feet below the surface, the deepest point in the Great Lakes.

How big were the waves that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald?

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.

Which Great Lake has the most shipwrecks?

Lake Erie has an astonishing 2,000-plus shipwrecks which is among the highest concentration of shipwrecks in the world.

Why did they put a new bell on the Edmund Fitzgerald?

The ship's bell, which was attached to the roof of the pilothouse, was unanimously selected to serve this important purpose. Further, it was suggested that a replica bell, inscribed with the names of the lost crewmen, be placed on the wreck as a permanent grave marker.

What is the sister ship to the Edmund Fitzgerald?

The Edmund Fitzgerald was the first of two similar sister ships constructed by Great Lakes Engineering Works, the other being her sister Arthur B. Homer of 1960, constructed for Bethlehem Steel. The Homer was of a slightly different design, being 730′ long, and she lacked the guest quarters of the Fitzgerald.

Did they make a movie about the Edmund Fitzgerald?

But there's a new documentary that focuses on the life of the Edmund Fitzgerald and what the ship did in her time on the Great Lakes. The film is called A Good Ship and Crew Well Seasoned, and it's produced by the Great Lakes Historical Society.