Lake Effect: Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes

Bonus Out of the Lakes - The Medusa Shipwreck: Stranded Off the Sahara

In 1816, the French vessel Medusa sailed for Senegal carrying nearly 400 passengers and crew. Commanded by an inexperienced captain chosen through political favoritism, t

Bonus Out of the Lakes - Andrea Doria Sinking: The Titanic of the 1950s

On July 25, 1956, the Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria was just hours from New York when fog swallowed the Atlantic south of Nantucket. Passengers were asleep. Families

Bonus out of the Lakes - The Batavia Shipwreck: Survival, Mutiny, and Murder at Sea

In 1629, the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia struck a reef off the coast of Western Australia. Hundreds of survivors were stranded on barren islands, desperate for

Bonus Out of the Lakes: MV Sewol - The Ferry Disaster That Shocked South Korea

On April 15, 2014, the MV Sewol departed Incheon, South Korea, bound for the resort island of Jeju. Among those aboard were hundreds of high school students beginning wha

The Lake Serpent: Lake Erie’s Mysterious 1829 Shipwreck

In September 1829, the schooner Lake Serpent left the islands of western Lake Erie carrying a heavy cargo bound for Cleveland. Somewhere on the return voyage, the ship va

The Manasoo: A Desperate Run for Griffith Island

In September 1928, the aging steamer Manasoo set out across Georgian Bay carrying passengers, automobiles, and more than 100 head of cattle. As darkness fell and the weat

D. R. Hanna: Collision on Lake Huron

On May 16, 1919, the massive Great Lakes freighter D. R. Hanna was carrying a valuable cargo of wheat across Lake Huron when thick fog closed in near Thunder Bay Island.

The Equinox: Terror in a Lake Michigan Gale

On September 10, 1875, the wooden steamer Equinox was fighting through a violent gale on Lake Michigan, carrying more than 6,700 barrels of salt and towing the schooner E

SS Lafayette Shipwreck: Lost in the Mataafa Storm on Lake Superior

In November 1905, the steamer Lafayette and the massive barge Manila were caught in the deadly Mataafa Storm on Lake Superior. Lost in darkness and snow, Captain D. P.

SS Eastland: The Shipwreck That Should Have Been Impossible

On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland rolled onto its side in the Chicago River while still tied to the dock. There was no storm, no collision, and no open water, yet 844 peo

The Edmund Fitzgerald - The Final Chapter: (Part 8 of 8)

In the final episode of our eight-part Edmund Fitzgerald series, we follow the story beyond the storm and beneath the surface of Lake Superior. Months after Fitzgerald d

The Ironton and the Yawl That Held a 125-Year Secret

In September 1894, the schooner barge Ironton was making its way north across Lake Huron when a routine tow suddenly began to unravel. A mechanical failure, rough seas, a

Bonus Out of the Lakes: SS Valencia Shipwreck - Trapped in the Graveyard of the Pacific

In January 1906, the passenger steamship SS Valencia was traveling from San Francisco toward Victoria and Seattle when a deadly navigation error sent her crashing onto th

The Scotiadoc: The Deadly Collision on Lake Superior

On June 20, 1953, the Scotiadoc, a 49-year-old Great Lakes freighter loaded with wheat, pushed out onto Lake Superior as thick fog swallowed everything around her. Somewh

The Edmund Fitzgerald: The Story Behind Gordon Lightfoot’s Legendary Song (Part 7 of 8)

In Part 7 of our 8-part Edmund Fitzgerald series, Lake Effect takes a different turn as we dive into Gordon Lightfoot’s legendary song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The SS Phoenix Disaster: Lake Michigan’s Deadly 1847 Steamship Tragedy

In November 1847, the steamship SS Phoenix was carrying hundreds of passengers west across the Great Lakes, including a large group of Dutch immigrants hoping to begin ne

The Rouse Simmons: The Christmas Tree Ship That Vanished on Lake Michigan

In November 1912, the aging schooner Rouse Simmons left Michigan’s Upper Peninsula carrying thousands of Christmas trees bound for Chicago. Captain Herman Schuenemann, kn

The Edmund Fitzgerald: Search and Rescue Attempt (Part 6 of 8)

When the Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly vanished from radar and stopped answering radio calls on November 10, 1975, the men aboard the Arthur M. Anderson faced an agonizing d

The Margaret Olwill: The Ship One Man Refused to Board

In June 1899, the steam barge Margaret Olwill departed Kelleys Island carrying hundreds of tons of limestone toward Cleveland. Aboard were an experienced Great Lakes capt

The Edmund Fitzgerald: Final Hours and Disappearance (Part 5 of 8)

On November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald was damaged but still moving toward the shelter of Whitefish Bay. The Arthur M. Anderson followed behind as Captain Ernest M