The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

two pumps ("both of them") were being used. FITZGERALD had four 7000-gpm pumps and two 2000-gpm pumps available, indicating that the flooding evaluated by personnel on board FITZGERALD as not sufficiently serious to create a danger of loss of the vessel. FITZGERALD reported difficulty with its radars, and requested ANDERSON to provide navigational information. FITZGERALD reported slowing down to allow ANDERSON to catch up. This action might have been taken because the Master of FITZGERALD knew or sensed that his problems were of a more serious nature than reported to ANDERSON.

c. UNDERWATER SURVEY. The underwater survey showed that mud covered a majority of the wreckage, that the midships section of the hull was completely disrupted, and that the stern section was inverted. Movement of the survey vehicle disturbed the mud, which limited visibility and made it difficult to identify individual components of the wreckage. However, the survey provided the Marine Board with valuable information with respect to the vessel's final condition and orientation.

2. In the absence of more definite information concerning the nature and extent of the difficulties reported and of the problems other than those which were reported, and in the absence of any survivors or witnesses, the proximate cause of the loss of the SS EDMUND FITZGERALD cannot be determined. 3. The most probable cause of the sinking of the SS EDMUND FITZGERALD was the loss of buoyancy and stability which resulted from massive flooding of the cargo hold. The flooding of the cargo hold took place through ineffective hatch closures as boarding seas rolled along the Spar Deck. The flooding, which began early on the 10th of November, progressed during the worsening weather and sea conditions and increased in volume as the vessel lost effective freeboard, finally resulting in such a loss of buoyancy and stability that the vessel plunged in the heavy seas.

The family of those who perished on the "Edmund Fitzgerald" reject the Coast Guard's finding that crew error in securing the hatches was the cause of the sinking. Their compelling argument is that these were seasoned veterans who would not jeopardize their lives by taking shortcuts in securing their ship for sea, especially in light of the storm warnings they received. They believe that the "Fitz" collided with the dangerous 6-fathom-shoals near Caribou Island. Their evidence is this section of the Coast Guard report.

The topside damage and list could have been caused by

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