LAKE SUPERIOR, MI – Today marks 49 years since the Edmund Fitzgerald was loaded with 26,000 tons of iron ore, prepared for what would be its tragic final voyage.

The 700-foot Fitzgerald, once the largest ship on the Great Lakes, left Superior, Wisconsin on November 9, 1975 at 2:15 p.m. Her crew planned to cross Lake Superior to deliver the cargo to Zug Island in Detroit.

But a day later the ship was gone, broken in two and lying at the bottom of the lake in 170 meters of water. All 29 souls on board were lost.

Gordon Lightfoot’s poignant song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” helps keep alive the memory of what has become the Great Lakes’ most famous shipwreck.

But the ship’s captain and crew were also sons, brothers, husbands and fathers. They came from Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Minnesota and beyond.

As we remember them, here are the highlights of the Fitzgerald’s final voyage and the fierce, hurricane-like “November Witch” storm that sank it.

Investigators would later say that in its final hour, the large cargo ship encountered sustained winds of 60 miles per hour and waves of more than 25 feet. He may even have encountered ‘The Three Sisters’: a trio of fast-hitting waves that are taller than the others around them.

Marine experts agree on one thing: The Fitzgerald was in the worst possible spot when it tried to reach the shelter of Michigan’s Whitefish Bay.

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NOV. 9, 1975

2:15 PM The Edmund Fitzgerald, captained by Ernest McSorley, completes loading 26,116 tons of taconite in Superior, Wisconsin, and departs for Detroit’s Zug Island. The storm that would later sink the ship is gaining strength over Kansas and heading toward Lake Superior.

5 p.m The Fitzgerald meets the Arthur M. Anderson, captained by Jesse Cooper, and the two ships continue east on similar courses, separated by about 10 to 20 miles. Three hours later, the National Weather Service issues a gale warning for all of Lake Superior.

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NOV. 10, 1975

1 hour The Fitzgerald passes about 20 miles south of Isle Royale, Michigan.

2 hours The Fitzgerald and Anderson agree to take a northerly route across the lake for protection from the storm. NWS upgrades the forecast to a gale warning, predicting northeasterly winds of 35 to 50 knots and waves of 8 to 16 feet.

7 hours The Fitzgerald calls the company office to report a delayed arrival due to deteriorating weather conditions. The ship is located approximately 35 miles north of Copper Harbor.

1 p.m The Fitzgerald is located 18 miles northwest of Michipicoten Island. The Anderson is located about 20 miles northwest of the island and reports winds of 20 knots and waves of 10 feet high.

1:40 PM The Fitzgerald radios the Anderson about weather and course changes. Captain McSorley reports that his ship is ‘rolling a bit’. The Fitzgerald cuts closer to Michipicoten Island, while the Anderson cuts west a bit to meet rising seas from behind.

2:45 PM The Anderson changes course to avoid the Six Fathom Shoal area north of Caribou Island. The Fitzgerald is about 15 miles away. Heavy snow begins to fall and the Fitzgerald is out of sight. It is the last time the ship is seen by human eyes.

3:20 PM The Anderson records winds of 43 knots and waves of 12 to 16 feet.

3:30 PM The Fitzgerald calls the Anderson to report damage and says the ship would slow down to catch up with the Anderson. A few minutes later, the Coast Guard issues instructions to all ships to find a safe anchorage, as the Soo locks are closed.

McSorley: “Anderson, this is the Fitzgerald. I suffered some damage to the top. I put down a fence rail, lost or damaged two vents, and a frame. I’m checking. Would you like to stay with me until I get to Whitefish?

Cooper: “Charlie about that Fitzgerald. Are your pumps on?’

McSorley: “Yes, both.”

4:10 PM The Fitzgerald radios the Anderson to request navigational assistance.

4:30 PM The Fitzgerald passes 3 to 5 miles east of Caribou Island. Many believe the ship unknowingly struck the poorly marked 6 Fathom Shoal on the north side of the island, but this has never been conclusively proven. The debate rages to this day.

4:39 PM NWS is revising the forecast again, predicting northwest winds of 38 to 52 knots with gusts up to 60 knots and waves of 8 to 16 feet.

5:30 PM The Fitzgerald is informed by the Swedish ship Avafors that the Whitefish Point beacon and light have been disabled due to a power failure.

Avafors: “Fitzgerald, these are the Avafors. I now have the Whitefish light, but still not receiving a beacon. About.”

Fitzgerald: “I’m very happy to hear it.”

Avafors: “The wind is really howling here. What are the conditions where you are?”

Fitzgerald: (Imperceptible shouting overheard) “LEAVE NO ONE ON DECK!”

Avafors: “What’s that, Fitzgerald? Unclear. About.”

Fitzgerald: “I have a bad list, I lost both radars. And I take heavy seas across the deck. One of the worst seas I have ever been in.”

Avafors: “If I’m right, you have two radars.”

Fitzgerald: “They’re both gone.”

6 p.m The Anderson is hit by a 25 foot wave.

7:10 PM The Anderson calls the Fitzgerald with navigation instructions. The ship is about 10 miles behind the doomed freighter.

Anderson: “Fitzgerald, this is the Anderson. Have you checked?”

Fitzgerald: “Yes, we have.”

Anderson: “Fitzgerald, we’re about 10 miles behind you and gaining about 1.5 miles per hour. Fitzgerald, there’s a target 20 miles ahead of us. So the target would be 9 miles ahead of you.”

Fitzgerald: “Well, am I going to clean up?”

Anderson: “Yes. It will pass west of you.”

Fitzgerald: “Well, fine.”

Anderson: “By the way, Fitzgerald, how’s your problem going?”

Fitzgerald: “We hold our own.”

Anderson: “Okay, fine. I’ll talk to you later.”

7:15 PM The Fitzgerald disappears from the Anderson’s radar. More than an hour later, the Coast Guard begins an active search. (Listen to the radio broadcast here). The 29 crew members aboard the Fitzgerald all die.

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