This Day in History: Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in Lake Superior, killing 29 crew members

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - The Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975, killing all 29 crew members aboard.

Seven of the victims were from Northeast Ohio.

The freighter was traveling from Wisconsin to a steel mill in Detroit when a severe thunderstorm produced hurricane-force winds and 35-foot waves.

All crew members died in the disaster.

The shipwreck was soon made famous in a song by Gordon Lightfoot.

In his lyrics, Lightfoot blames the disaster on the “Witch of November,” the source of memorable and fierce storms on the Great Lakes.

The wreck led to significant maritime safety improvements on the Great Lakes, including new regulations on ship construction, enhanced weather forecasting and improved crew training.