Watch the 'Gales of November: Diving the Edmund Fitzgerald' on FOX 9

Gales of November: Diving the Edmund Fitzgerald

In this news documentary, you will hear from the few people who have seen the Edmund Fitzgerald since the ship sank in Lake Superior 50 years ago. As historians and experts continue to debate why the ship sank, the answers could still be found in the wreckage…but there likely will never be another dive.

DULUTH, Minn. (FOX 9) - In this news documentary, you will hear from the few people who have seen the Edmund Fitzgerald since the ship sank in Lake Superior 50 years ago. As historians and experts continue to debate why the ship sank, the answers could still be found in the wreckage … but there likely will never be another dive.

Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The backstory:

The Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975. The 729-foot ship carried taconite from Minnesota to Ohio for nearly twenty years before disappearing during a storm. The U.S. Coast Guard’s investigation concluded the ship took on water because of ineffective hatch closures and was taken down by a large wave but did not determine when or how the ship broke apart. Five expeditions to the bottom of Lake Superior produced remarkable video and images of the wreckage but did conclude how or when the ship broke apart.

'Gales of November: Diving the Edmund Fitzgerald' [TRAILER]

In this news documentary, you will hear from the few people who have seen the Edmund Fitzgerald since the ship sank in Lake Superior 50 years ago. As historians and experts continue to debate why the ship sank, the answers could still be found in the wreckage … but there likely will never be another dive.

What's next:

Some researchers believe new expeditions could help solve the mystery of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The ship is likely well-preserved more than 500-feet below the surface because of the depth and temperature of the water. The ship is too deep to be impacted by ice or sealife and is not corroding from salt water, like shipwrecks in the ocean.

The 729-foot ore boat the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank during a storm on Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975.

However, the Canadian government has not approved an expedition since 1995, when the last dive recovered the ship’s bell. A diving expedition in 1994 led to controversy when divers on a submarine recorded video of a body believed to be a member of the 29-person crew that died.

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• Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the Edmund Fitzgerald. This is what the song got wrong.
• How did the Edmund Fitzgerald sink? It's complicated.
• The Edmund Fitzgerald hasn’t been explored in 30 years. Will there ever be another dive?

Watch ‘Gales of November’ on FOX 9, FOX LOCAL

How to watch:

The "Gales of November: Diving the Edmund Fitzgerald" premiered on Nov. 5 at 9:30 p.m. on FOX 9. You can watch the documentary on-demand on FOX LOCAL, FOX LOCAL Mobile, YouTube, FOX9.com and in the player above.