S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald

[matt t.]

I've heard stories from some divers about one wreck in Lake Superior where the Chief Engineer in still on board and everyone calls him "Whitey" because of the soap like appearance of his skin. Maybe that's the one you are talking about. I don't know if it's true, and I've never dove Lake Superior, but I've heard it from different dive camps.

You are referring to the "Kamloops" near Isle Royale. The ship sunk and the crew/passengers were stranded on Isle Royale. All that survived the shipwreck eventually died from exposure to the weather. I believe the fate of the crew/passengers was learned from a message in a bottle.....

 

[diverbrian]

Give me another couple of years and I may be paying Whitey a respectful visit myself. The people that know me know my views on diving grave sites. I came back from the Pewabic last week and noted a couple of obvious human bones on the deck. Thank God for mix or I would have likely been freaked right out. Actually, my dive buddy/ instructor braced me for the sight.

The Pewabic was a worse tradegy than the Fitz in my mind. The bulk of the 100+ people that died on that wreck were passengers just looking for a way to their destination on a clear day with barely a wave in the water before they were collided with by their sister ship just outside of Alpena.

The crew on a shipping vessel making their last run of the season (or first one of the season for that matter) on Lake Superior are well aware of the risks. Just because better navigation and weather forecasting technology have made it far safer than it was even twenty years ago does not take away from the risk.

In any case, I don't intend to loot gravesites and am even respectful about what I photograph on wrecks like this. I have even gone so far as to escort a former crewman's ashes to the Cedarville so that part of him might always rest with his friends that weren't as fortunate as he was.

The Fitz is just too deep and broken up be worth that dive in my mind.

 

[CD_in_Chitown]

...The skin turns into what looks like soap.

No man, the fat actually turns into soap. See Saponify or The woman who turned to soap Deep cold water will do that.

 

[Diver0001]

Deep cold water will do that.

Excuse me while I toss. :***:

(note to self: avoid deep cold water)

R..

 

[gchapman]

From what I understand after talking to some Wreck/Deep divers from Michigan about Lake Superior she is a whole different monster when it comes to giving back human remains.

What are the lyrics? "Superior it is said never gives up her dead when the gales of Novermber come early?"

I'm personally happy with people not diving the site - it's more of a cultural icon rather than a simple dive site.

 

[Don Burke]

It will be thirty years this November 10.

http://www.boatnerd.com/fitz/

 

[Gary D.]

No man, the fat actually turns into soap. See Saponify or The woman who turned to soap Deep cold water will do that.

Doesn't have to be that deep. It can happen within sport limits.

Gary D.

 

[cmalinowski]

Doesn't have to be that deep. It can happen within sport limits.

Gary D.

One minute you're hanging out on your deco stop, then next minute, you're soap :11:

 

[Gary D.]

One minute you're hanging out on your deco stop, then next minute, you're soap :11:

Would you prefer liquid or solid? hehehe

It's a common occurrence in cold water. A real interesting phenomenon to see.

Gary D.

 

[hnladue]

At least they'd be recovered squeaky clean!