Includes a brief overview of the Fitzgerald tragedy
DETROIT, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — November 10, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, one of the most well-known maritime disasters in Great Lakes history. All 29 crew members were lost when the ship sank in a treacherous Lake Superior storm.
Mariners’ Church of Detroit, which has honored the Great Lakes maritime tradition since 1842, is committed to supporting accurate and meaningful media coverage of this milestone. The church is offering journalists access to:
- Subject matter experts and spokespeople
- Archival articles, photographs and historical documentation
- List of 50th anniversary commemoration activities and events
To access resources, please visit HERE (https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/)
The Edmund Fitzgerald: A Brief Overview
At 1:15 p.m. CT on Nov. 9, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald, then the largest ship on the Great Lakes, set sail from the Burlington Northern Railroad dock in Superior, WI loaded with 26,116 long tons of taconite headed for a steel mill on Zug Island near Detroit. Weather was normal for the time of year, although conditions rapidly deteriorated. By Nov. 10, winds exceeded 50 mph and waves towered up to 25 feet.
At approximately 7:10 p.m., just 17 miles from Whitefish Bay, the Fitzgerald vanished from radar. No distress signal was sent. The ship likely sank bow-first in violent seas. All 29 crew members perished.
In the early hours of Nov. 11, 1975, Rev. Richard Ingalls of Mariners’ Church rang the church’s Brotherhood Bell 29 times — once for each life lost. Ingalls said he paused between each of the 29 pulls, allowing the sound to echo over the quiet city on that cold November dawn. Soon, community members and more than a dozen reporters had made their way to the church to learn about the shipwreck firsthand.
Ingalls’ act was later immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s iconic song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and bell-ringing tradition has continued each year since at Mariners’ Annual Great Lakes Memorial Service, held on the second Sunday of November.
Given that Mariners’ Church served as a central hub for news and reporting on the morning of the tragedy 50 years ago, the church is honored to once again offer that role with historical documents, contacts and accurate information for those covering this significant anniversary. Visit: https://marinerschurchofdetroit.org/edmund-fitzgerald/
SOURCE Mariners’ Church of Detroit
