The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: Historical Documents

[Timberextra]

there is more controversy than is showed in your vids. I watched them all and am still trying to figure out exactly who did what. the congressmen I get but I need help trying to figure out the blame game here. fascinating footage in all of the vids posted by you. any help clarifying just who's who in this mess would be greatly appreciated. thanks again.

[Timberextra]

@rrclerk68 I totally agree with you.

[rrclerk68]

my opinion, you are making a mountains from molehills. I agree that defiling a gravesite is completely wrong. But the placing of a beer aboard the Fitzgerald is as honorable placing flowers to a land grave, meant to honor her father. Taking this to the extreme, do we consider all the vessels sunk in the ocean as gravesites? If so, in your logic, it would be illegal to allow shipping to pass over such sites, and that is foolish. The lost mariners would agree; their workplace was the ocean.

[shooterman20kills]

If remember correctly a family member of the crew requested that a beer can b placed on the ship in memory of her father who after a watch had a beer thier it is a rememberence of her loved one the can is 'nt trah but a gift of love to one who was lost

[bnodurft]

It was Lt. Cmdr Gwalchmai of the Canadian Navy who suggested placing the beer can in the pilothouse of the Fitz. See his comments on the You Tube video, "Trash even on the Fizgerald site".

[captjeff78]

thank you for all your informative information on this wreck. i was verry impressed! why did they place a beer can in the ship? that just doesnt seem right?

[bnodurft]

See the You Tube video, "Trash even on the Fitzgerald site" for their explanation of the beer can.

[cochranexyz]

This is a gravesite. It should be left alone.

[agent458]

@cochranexyz Really.  Would you go into a cemetary and remove items from the graves? Just take what you want, because, you know, you'd like to have it for "historical reasons"? Good God, people. SHOW SOME RESPECT.

[ejlister]

Moral of the story: Don't steal. The government hates competition.

[neverneverlandearth]

that's weird. why would a news anchor working in Flint, MI, be on this dive? not a local story to Flint.

[deerslayer2446]

Just so u all know, and you can go to Whitefish point museum if you doubt me. The family of the Fitzgerald was present when the went down and took the stuff from the Fitz. They cannot keep any artifacts without there permission. Gordon Lightfoot helped the pay for the Fitz and her federally recognized grave site in the bottom of Superior.

[bnodurft]

Just so u all know. The "family" was NOT present when "they" took all that stuff and the families did NOT give permission to run a mining operation for the Fitz taconite pellets. Gordon Lightfoot did NOT pay for the Fitz in any way. And the Fitz wreck site was NOT recognized by the United States - it is recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Culture. You can do your homework at a website called whitefishpointwatch.

[deerslayer2446]

Lol, u are crazy lady, have you talked to any of the family?

[bnodurft]

Yes.

[blackdressy]

wondrful info!

[patriot91dsrtstrm]

By the way, VERY nice work bnodurft,for all of your work and research into this tragedy. Please keep all of us informed of any changes in the storyline of the 'Big Fitz". I have seen most if not all of your videos involving this subject and have found them very informative and well organized. I had just turned 10 when I saw the news of the wreck on T.V., and have been facinated ever since. God Bless you, the crew and the families who have dealt with this loss.

[bnodurft]

Thank you for the kind thoughts. Many more videos of underwater footage of the Fitz will be posted on You Tube.

[patriot91dsrtstrm]

This is for "Lord" raven. The difference is that we know every man that went down on that ship by first, middle and last names. Their families live among us. We have the blueprints of the ship and every nut, bolt, rivet and weld on it was made by a modern human hand. We do not have the same understanding of the ancient world that we have of our modern world. Therefore it is VERY different. Archaeologists study the ancient world in the only way they can. The mystery of the Fitz is her sinking.

[Mmmmoaa]

Thank you very much for your detailed information. I live far away in Australia and am not a relative of the lost crew but have found this to be not only very informative but also extremely disturbing. Keep up the good work in exposing these thieves.

[Darendor]

A ring removed from a human skeleton? I thought no bodies were ever encountered during any dives to the wreck?

[bnodurft]

See the You Tube video "Expedition 94: Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" - explorer Fred Shannon did report finding crew members at the wreck site. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society removed the ring from a skeleton on the wreck of the Superior City prior to 1983. They were still plundering wrecks in 1994 when they were involved with mining taconite pellets from the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

[HabsRule92Remy92]

Why do people feel the need to taint everything they see?

[LordRavenX8]

so, lets look at the big picture here. what is the difference between taking things from the edmund fitzgerald and digging up the remains of people from history such as skeletons of people from ancient cities? or taking things from Pyramids? it is no different yet you point out the wrongs of this (as most do) but not with other recoveries? (not that i dont believe things should be left there). it just bothers me that people only care if it deals with them.

[bnodurft]

The big picture is that the Edmund Fitzgerald is only one gravesite that the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical [GLSHS] desecrated and looted. The difference between the Fitz, most of the other shipwrecks, and the Pyramids is that there are many direct living relatives of the Fitz crew. For more information, see the You Tube video, "Grave Robbers of the Great Lakes".

[Nmemonicus]

whats with all the legal bullshit? I wanna see the video of the ship i dont care about Michigan Law and all that other crap

[bnodurft]

If you are not interested in the history of the Fitz, you can view videos of the wreck in the You Tube videos: Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald:Dive #241 - Parts 1, 2, & 3.

[3fitzgrld]

If you were a family member of one of the 29 men who died you would care.

[mooinator23]

very informative.. thank you

[bnodurft]

Note: All of the Clelia pre-launch checklists are from the 1994 dives to the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.