VIDEO: Senator Peters Leads Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Resolution Honors the 29 Crewmembers on Board Who Lost Their Lives
LAKE SUPERIOR – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) introduced a bipartisan resolution to recognize the 50th anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, an iron ore freighter that sank in Lake Superior approximately 17 miles off the coast of Whitefish Point, Michigan. The resolution honors the 29 crewmembers who died during the shipwreck, which occurred during one of the worst storms ever recorded on the Great Lakes.
“I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan resolution recognizing the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior, which claimed the lives of all 29 crewmembers on board,” said Senator Peters. “In the wake of this tragic shipwreck, major reforms were made to help improve the safety of the critical Great Lakes shipping industry. 50 years later, the legend of the Edmund Fitzgerald lives on in generations of Michiganders, maritime professionals, and Great Lakes enthusiasts who tell its story to remind us of the strength of our Great Lakes.”
To watch video of his remarks, click here.
Peters introduced the resolution alongside U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MI).
Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s famous ballad, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” narrates the ship’s final voyage. The song was released in 1976, the year following the shipwreck. Today, the song’s continued popularity helps ensure the ship and crew are never forgotten. Services are held each year in remembrance of the shipwreck, including at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point, Michigan and at the Mariners’ Church of Detroit.
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