Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2015 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== (note: while some formatting changes were necessary to transcribe this document the content remains entirely as written in the official report.) From: Marine Board of Investigation To: Commandant (G-MMI) Subj: S. S. EDMUND FITZGERALD, O. N. 277437; sinking in Lake Superior on 10 November 1975, with loss of life FINDINGS OF FACT (continued) ---------------- 6. Search Effort. -------------- Following CAPT Cooper's call at about 2025, expressing his concern about FITZGERALD, the Coast Guard radio watchstander attempted to contact FITZGERALD on VHF/FM and requested that the commercial radio station, WLC, at Rogers City, MI, attempt to contact FITZGERALD. Neither attempt was successful. At 2040, Coast Guard Station Sault Ste. Marie informed the CG Rescue Coordination Center (rcc) in Cleveland, which coordinates search and rescue efforts for the Great Lakes, that there was an uncertainty concerning FITZGERALD. At 2103, ANDERSON called CG Station Sault Ste. Marie again, and this time reported that FITZGERALD was missing. This was relayed to rcc Cleveland at 2110, and, at 2115, rcc directed CG Air Station Traverse City, MI, to dispatch an aircraft. At 2116, the Canadian Rescue Center at Trenton, ONT, was advised. At 2125, rcc directed the Coast Guard Cutter NAUGATUCK (WYTM 92) to get underway from Sault Ste. Marie, MI, and, at 2130 the Coast Guard Cutter WOODRUSH (WLB 407) was also directed to get underway from its home port of Duluth, MN, approximately 300 miles from the scene. Under the Search and Rescue Plan, Annex I to CCGDnine Operation Plan NR1-(FY), the Coast Guard Air Station at Traverse City, MI, provides fixed wing air coverage for all of the Great Lakes and rotary wing coverage for Lake Superior and the northern parts of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. Under this plan, USCG Air Station Traverse City is required to have one HU-16 fixed wing search aircraft and one HH-52 helicopter in status Bravo-O (capable of being launched in 30 minutes) or ALFA (airborne) at all times, and personnel on board immediately available and capable of launching either the HU-16 or the HH-52. 34 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first Coast Guard aircraft, an HU-16, was launched at 2206 after a minor delay to put flares on board, and was on scene at 2253. An HH-52, fitted with a Night Sun, an externally mounted, remote controlled, focusable, 3.8 million candlepower, Xenon arc searchlight, was launched at 2223, and was on scene at 0100, 11 November. A second HH-52 was launched at 2249 and was on scene at 0005, 11 November. A Canadian C-130 was launched at 0037. Under the Vessel Employment Schedule then in effect, NAUGATUCK was in a maintenance status for the period 1 November through 16 November, but because of the bad weather it had been ordered to upgrade to a standby status at 1947, 10 November. This class of vessel is restricted from operating in open water when winds exceed 60 knots, and because of the severe weather and sea conditions which existed in eastern Lake Superior on the evening of 10 November, at 2125, when NAUGATUCK was directed to get underway it was also directed not to proceed beyond the entrance to Whitefish Bay. After the order to get underway was received, NAUGATUCK suffered a failure of a lube oil line and repairs were begun immediately. By the next morning, repairs were completed and the weather had moderated. NAUGATUCK got underway at approximately 0900 and was on scene at 1245. The Coast Guard Cutter WOODRUSH had been in a BRAVO-6 Standby Status, i.e., ready to proceed within six hours. WOODRUSH got underway at 0008, 11 November, and arrived on scene approximately twenty-four hours later. A Coast Guard 40-foot patrol boat (CG 40573) was directed to proceed from CG Base Sault Ste. Marie on the morning of the 11th and searched until late after- noon. The rescue coordination center evaluated the 35 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- possibility of using the 36-foot motor lifeboat sta- tioned at Grand Marais, MI, and concluded that it would not be effective due to the 35 to 40 mile distance, the slow speed of the boat and the severe weather. In addition, rcc concluded that the 40 foot patrol boats stationed at Marquette, MI, Bayfield, WI, and Duluth, MN, were too far from the scene to be effective. The Coast Guard Icebreaker MACKINAW was at its home port of Sheboygan, MI, but was in a repair status prepar- ing for its winter ice operations and was unable to get underway. The Coast Guard Buoy Tender SUNDEW was at its home port of Charlevoix, MI, also in a repair status. The 40 foot patrol boat and 44 foot motor lifeboat at St. Ignace, MI, were evaluated as being too far from the scene to be effective. There were no other Coast Guard SAR vessels available nearby in any of the adjacent Great Lakes which were evalu- ated as capable of responding in the weather conditions which existed. The Canadian Coast Guard Vessel VERENDRYE was made availa- ble on 12 and 13 November and searched the area along the Canadian shore. At approximately 2100, 10 November, the Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Group Sault Ste. Marie, MI, re- quested the Steamer ANDERSON, which by then had reached Whitefish Bay, to reverse course and assist in the search. ANDERSON turned around and was on scene at approxi- mately 0200. At approximately 2230, the Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Group Sault Ste. Marie contacted the U. S. vessels WILLIAM CLAY FORD, WILLIAM R. ROESCH and BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS and the Canadian vessels FRONTENAC, MURRAY BAY, HILDA MARJANNE and ALGOSOO, which were anchored in or near Whitefish 36 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bay, and requested that they get underway to assist in the search. Of these, only the WILLIAM CLAY FORD (Ford Motor Co.) and the HILDA MARJANNE (Upper Lakes Shipping, Ltd.) responded that they would get underway. FORD got underway and proceeded to the area, arriving at approximately 0200, and searched throughout the night and into the next day. HILDA MARJANNE got underway but in approximately 20 or 30 minutes determined that the weather conditions were too severe for that vessel, and, accordingly, returned to anchorage in Whitefish Bay. The Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Group Sault Ste. Marie also called BENFRI, NANFRI and AVAFORS, foreign flag saltwater ships which were upbound, in or slightly beyond the area where FITZGERALD was lost, and asked them to reverse course and assist in the search. All three replied that they did not believe that they could reverse course without hazard to their vessels, because of the severe weather conditions. NANFRI did reduce speed, change course slightly to the north and maintain a lookout. Coast Guard Station Sault Ste. Marie, MI, made Urgent Broadcasts on the Steamer FITZGERALD at 2145 and at 2200. An Urgent Broadcast was initiated by the Ninth Coast Guard District at 2238 and was rebroadcast regularly until 2127, 13 November, after which the search was terminated. In addition to the commercial vessels ANDERSON, FORD and HILDA MARJANNE which undertook the search on the night of the 10th, the following vessels responded to the Urgent Broadcast and assisted in the search: 37 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- U.S. Vessels ------------ ARMCO (Columbia Transportation Div., Oglebay-Norton Co.) ROGER BLOUGH (United States Steel Corp.) RESERVE (Columbia Transportation Div., Oglebay-Norton Co.) WILFRED SYKES (Inland Steel Co.) WILLIAM R. ROESCH (Columbia Transportation Div., Oglebay-Norton Co.) Canadian Vessels ---------------- FRONTENAC (Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd.) JOAN O. McKELLAR (Scott Misener Steamships, Ltd.) MURRAY BAY (Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd.) F/V JAMES D. Throughout the night of the 10th the fixed-wing air- craft and helicopters and the vessels ANDERSON and FORD searched the area where FITZGERALD was reported lost and along the shoreline, utilizing lights and flares. During the 11th, 12th and 13th, the search area con- sisted of the eastern end of Lake Superior from the eastern shore of the lake, westward to a north-south line approximately fifteen miles west of Crisp Point and from the southern shore of the lake, northward to an east-west line approximately at Caribou Island. The search which began at daylight on the 11th utilized a C-130 from the Michigan Air National Guard, a Canadian C-130, a Coast Guard HU-16 and two HH-52 helicopters from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, and a Coast Guard C-130 from Coast Guard Air Station Elizbeth City, NC. The latter was designated On Scene Commander. All aircraft searched throughout the daylight hours on the 11th. During the 12th and 13th, the search continued, utilizing the Coast Guard C-130, the National Guard C-130, the Coast Guard HU-16, 38 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- the Canadian C-130 and the Coast Guard helicopters. On the 12th, the launching of the aircraft was delayed because of the low ceiling. Helicopters were able to proceed first at a low altitude and later in the afternoon the ceiling rose and the HU-16 joined the search. During this same period, the Coast Guard Cutter NAUGATUCK and the Coast Guard Cutter WOODRUSH conducted various surface searches coordinated with the aircraft. Active search was suspended at 2212, on November 13th, although Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City was directed to conduct daily flights over the area, and this was done for approximately one more week. After that, Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City conducted weekly flights over the area until the end of the year. On 14 November, a U.S. Navy aircraft joined the search, and utilitizing MAD (Magnetic Anamoly Detection) equipment located a strong single magnetic contact at 47°00.5'N, 85°06'W. A slight oil slick was observed at the contact position. This contact was later determined to be the sunken hulk of FITZGERALD. Ontario Canadian Provincial Police conducted numerous shoreline searches during the active search period, and helicop- ters from CG Air Station Traverse City also searched the Michi- gan and Canadian Shores. 7. Search Results -------------- Despite the intensive search, no survivors were found, nor were any bodies recovered. Only one lifeboat, one-half of another lifeboat, two inflatable life rafts, twenty-one life jackets or life jacket pieces and some miscellaneous flotsam identified as being from FITZGERALD were found. One piece of a lifeboat was first sighted by ANDERSON at 0807, 11 November, at a location approximately nine miles east of where FITZGERALD sank. The other lifeboat was sighted by ANDERSON at 0905 approximately four miles south of the first 39 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- one. The severely damaged piece of No.1 lifeboat was recovered on 11 November by the Steamer WILLIAM R. ROESCH at a position approximately 2 miles northwest of Coppermine Point, Ontario. The No.2 lifeboat, also severely damaged, was recovered on 11 November in the vicinity of Coppermine Point by the F/V JAMES D. Both lifeboats were delivered to the U. S. Coast Guard Base, Sault Ste. Marie, where a survey of them was conducted on 25 November 1975. The remains of the No. 1 lifeboat consisted of the forward sixteen feet of the boat with the starboard side badly damaged. The words "EDMUND FITZGERALD NO. 1" were painted in three-inch letters on both bows and the words "500 CU. FT. 50 PERSONS" were painted in one and one-half inch letters below that. There was no name plate attached and there were no air tanks, buoyancy material, or boat equipment present, however, a substantial amount of this was found floating nearby. The plating was heavily buckled and holed over a four foot by four foot area, port side, forward. This damage was centered in the turn of the bilge area. The forward section of the port grab rail was torn free and sharply rolled back. The grab rail was missing from the starboard side. The life line and seine floats for this portion of the boat were present. There was a sharp indentation in the plating over a one foot by six inch area on the starboard side, forward, at the turn of the bilge. The bow ring was missing and the thwarts and side benches were damaged throughout. The forward Rottmer Releasing gear, consisting of the hook, pre- venter bars, lock, upper and lower guide bearings, universal joints and the complete portion of the shafting to the after universal, was present. The shaft was twisted and distorted. The plate attachment to the stem was in place. The releasing lever was torn loose from its secured position and the hold-down brackets were severed. Data on the name plate for the Rottmer Releasing Gear was: 40 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marine Safety Equipment Corp., New Jersey, Approval No. 160.033/52/0 The hook lock was in the position in which it would be with the boat stowed, that is, it was in the locked position. However, the base of the hook was not inside the hook lock and as a result, the hook was free to rotate about the horizon- tal pin. The entire No. 2 lifeboat was recovered. The words "EDMUND FITZGERALD NO. 2" were painted in three-inch letters on both bows and the words "500 CU. FT. 50 PERSONS" were painted in one and one-half-inch letters below that. There was no name plate attached. The plating along the port side of the stem was split open from the gunwale to about 2 feet above the keel. The bow plating was buckled from gunwale to keel from the stem to 12 feet aft on the port side, and to 9 feet aft on the starboard side. The plating was holed on the port side forward, at the turn of the bilge, over an area of two and one-half by one and one-half feet. The rivets fastening the stern sheet to the port side of the boat were missing. The forward half of the grab rail was buckled and the forward shell fastening were pulled out (there were a total of 6 such fastenings). The starboard grab rail was distorted throughout its 12-foot length, and the third (from forward) of the six grab rail to shell connections was pulled out. The shell connection of the first thwart was torn loose on the starboard side. The first and third side bench brackets were torn loose at the upper connection to the gunwale. The forward and after air tanks on the port side were missing and the other four were distorted. The forward air tank on the starboard side was adrift and the other five tanks were in place. The thwarts and side benches were generally damaged. The Rottmer Releasing gear, consisting of the hook, preventer bars, lock, upper and lower guide bearings and universal joints, 41 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- was intact at both ends. The plates securing the gear to the stem and stern were present. The shafting was twisted. The releasing lever was in the closed position. Legible data on the after releasing gear name plate stated: Marine Safety Equipment Corp., New Jersey, Approval No. 160.033/52/0 Both of the hook locks on boat No. 2 were in the same condition as the hook lock on boat No. 1, i.e., the hook lock was closed but the hook was outside of the lock and free to rotate about the horizontal pin. No boat equipment was found in No. 2 boat. A SWITLIK, 25-man inflatable life raft, identified as being from FITZGERALD, was found inflated and floating upright, near the shore, in the vicinity of Coppermine Point. This raft was recovered by the M/V ROGER BLOUGH at 0942 on 11 November. The second SWITLIK, 25-man inflatable life raft from FITZGERALD was recovered, partially deflated, by an Ontario, Canada, Provincial Police Shore Party, later that day. Both rafts were delivered to the U. S. Coast Guard Base Sault Ste. Marie, MI, and a survey of them was conducted there, and at the U. S. Steel, Great Lakes Fleet Warehouse, Sault Ste. Marie, MI, on 24 Novem- ber 1975, by U. S. Coast Guard Inspectors and a Canadian government Marine Surveyor. The first raft inspected was the one recovered by the M/V ROGER BLOUGH. This raft was a SWITLIK inflatable life raft manufactured by the Switlik Parachute Co., Inc., 42 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trenton, NJ., Approved by U.S.C.G. for 25 persons, Lot No. 3, Approval No. 160.051/20/1, Serial No. Spec. MN 13, Original Inspection: 12/5/67. When first examined, it was in a deflated condition and it was fully inflated during the inspection. The raft and canopy were found to be in serviceable condition. There was a small tear in the after section of the floor, a slight air leak at the lower half of the separation buoyancy tube and a small tear in the forward part of the top of the canopy cover. The outside light was in operating order but the light cable had been cut. The submersible batteries were dated September, 1974. The after section of the inflatable floor was missing. The inflation bottle and all valves of the inflation system were operational. The full 100 foot painter was properly secured to the raft and to the CO2 release wire. The weak link that secures the painter to the vessel was missing. The following equipment was found in the raft: (1) Part of sea anchor line (2) Heaving line (3) Two paddles - one handle (4) One hand pump (5) Two spare flashlight batteries (6) Patch kit and glue (7) Two relief valve plugs 43 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (8) Life Raft Instruction booklet (9) Water storage bag Boarding ladders and lifelines outside and inside the raft were in good condition. The second raft inspected was the one recovered by the Ontario Provincial Police. This raft was also a SWITLIK inflata- ble life raft manufactured by the Switlik Parachute Co., Inc., Trenton, NJ., Approved by U.S.C.G. for 25 persons, Lot No. 2, Approval No. 160.051/20/1, Serial No. Spec. MN 47, Original Inspection 2/5/67. The raft had a 12 inch gash in a flotation tube and the nylon straps were badly tangled around the rubber inflating tube leading to the CO2 cylinder. The blue nylon cover was badly torn. The lower buoyance chamber had three holes. These had been punched with a pocket knife by the Ontario Provincial Police shore party to allow the water in the raft to escape when the raft was recovered. The inflation bottle and valves were operational. Only 30 feet of the 100 foot painter remained and it appeared to have broken under tension. The painter was properly secured to the raft and to the CO2 release wire. The inspection report stated that it appeared that the upper buoy- ancy chamber inflation valve had been torn from the fabric in an attempt to deflate the buoyancy chamber. The valve was in operating order. The nylon canopy covers were ripped off the starboard side and the covers were partially ripped off the upper chambers. Other than this damage, the condition of the material of the chambers and canopy was good. Both manually inflatable floor sections were found uninflated near the raft. 44 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A CO2 inflation cylinder was found in the water beside the raft. The only other equipment found was an orange nylon bag, 3' by 4" by 6" in size, found tangled in the nylon straps, which con- tained sodden flares and the life raft instruction booklet and patch kit. The lights for inside and outside were broken but the wiring was intact and in order. The raft was covered in several places with heavy bunker fuel. It was not possible to identify which raft had been stowed forward or which aft. The additional items recovered consisted of the following: (1) 20 cork float life preservers or life preserver pieces (2) Eight oars or oar pieces (3) One piece of a Sounding Board, identified as the type which had been on FITZGERALD. There were no chalk markings on the Sounding Board. (4) Eight flotation tanks, identified as having come from the lifeboats. (5) One large built-up wooden fender block with line. (6) Two propane cylinders, one with valve cover. Propane was used for galley fuel on board FITZGERALD and tanks such as these were stowed on deck, aft on the Poop Deck. (7) Thirteen life rings, with pieces of line attached. Two had carbide "water light" cannisters attached and two other life rings had threaded circular plastic discs attached to the lines. These discs were identified as end caps of electrically operated water lights. (8) One piece of a life ring. 45 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (9) One piece of line approximately 9 feet long. (10) Two 2" by 12" planks, one approximately 12 feet long, the other approximately 5 feet long. One 6" by 8" plank approximately 15 feet long. (11) One wooden stool, identified as similar to the type used on FITZGERALD. (12) One heaving line. (13) One stepladder. (14) One-half of a boat cover, identified as the type which had been on the lifeboats on FITZGERALD. (15) One rudder from a lifeboat. (16) One lifeboat boat box, empty. (17) One floodlight, identified as the type that was installed on the pilothouse and after deck of FITZGERALD. (18) One plastic spray bottle, white, marked "Pilothouse Window." (19) One broken extension ladder. (20) Pieces of assorted broken scrap wood. The end caps of the electrically operated water lights had been separated from the lights without damage to the caps. The caps were examined at Coast Guard Headquarters and were identi- fied as having come from lights manufactured by the Automatic 46 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lite Company, Baltimore, MD. Representatives of Columbia Transportation Division, the operators of FITZGERALD, confirmed that the lights on FITZGERALD had been SAVE-U-LIGHTS, manufac- tured by the Automatic Lite Company under Approval No. 161.010/3/1. Records at Coast Guard Headquarters indicate that this approval number was superseded on 25 May 1976, when the manufacturer re- designed the water light cap attachment because the caps on the prior design loosened and fell out or pulled out too easily. Once the flotsam had been examined, it was turned over to Columbia Transportation Div., Oglebay-Norton Co., the operator of FITZGERALD, for disposition. One additional cork float life preserver was found on the beach, approximately 5 miles north of Coppermine Point on 20 April 1976. This life preserver was in the same general condi- tion as those which had been found during the November search. 8. Pollution --------- On the morning of 11 November 1975, when it became apparent that there was some discharge of oil in the area where FITZGER- ALD was lost, the Commander, Ninth Coast Guard District, acti- vated the Joint U.S. - Canadian Pollution Contigency Plan and the Joint Response Team (JRT), with U. S. and Canadian representa- tives on scene at Sault Ste. Marie that evening. A representa- tive of the Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team was also present. The JRT remained on scene in an observation and advisory capa- city until Friday, 14 November 1975, at which time it was concluded that the diesel oil on board the vessel (bow thruster fuel) had vented and that the Bunker C (main propulsion fuel) had reached a sufficiently low temperature that the viscosity had increased enough to preclude further venting. Thus it 47 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- was determined that the pollution potential was negligible and the JRT was deactivated. The oil which had been observed on the surface had dissipated and there was no cleanup effort. 48 (transcribers note: Page 48 is continued in a separate text file) ===========================================================================