It will be fifty years from the Edmund Fitzgerald disaster next year (2025). Do you know any good swimmers in the group (Ship Junkies – Lakes, Locks & Rivers (LL&R) that would like to be a part of a documentary that travels 411 miles from Lake Superior to Detroit, Michigan?
Swimmers can complete Edmund Fitzgerald’s journey to commemorate the 50th anniversary of shipwreck.
Next year, open water swimmers will have the chance to participate in a 17-stage, 411-mile relay swim from Lake Superior to Detroit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The swim is scheduled for July 26, 2025, and swimmers will be featured in an upcoming documentary film. The swim will start in Lake Superior from above the wreck and finish at Belle Isle Beach. Registration for the swim opened at 9 a.m. EST this morning, July 24 2024.
The 729-foot ship was heading to Detroit in 1975, carrying more than 26,000 long tons of iron ore when the ship went down during a Lake Superior Storm on November 10. All 29 crew members were killed in the shipwreck. The ship currently sits in Canadian waters, 17 miles north-northwest of Whitefish Point.
“The Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim presents epic, once-in-a-lifetime experiences for up to 68 swimmers to be part of history, play a role in a documentary film, and swim where no one has ever swum before and may never swim again,” said organizer Jim Dreyer, who has swam across all five Great Lakes.
Swimmers will be raising money for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) to help preserve the Whitefish Point light station.
“The Edmund Fitzgerald, has come to represent, in many ways, shipwrecks in general on the Great Lakes, and the Whitefish Point Light is the most important beacon for all vessels entering or leaving Lake Superior,” said Bruce Lynn, GLSHS Executive Director. “Preserving the legacy of the 29 men who lost their lives in this historic maritime tragedy and helping to preserve a lighthouse that safeguards mariners along Lake Superior’s ‘Shipwreck Coast,’ are causes the swimmers can really rally around while they are themselves making history.”
Only four swimmers will participate in each of the 17 swim stages. Therefore, there is a limit of 68 who may be a part of this important mission. Contact edmundfitzgeraldswim.org
Here’s how the relay is going to work
Edmund Fitzgerald Wreck Site:
The first stage of the swim is tentatively planned to start from above the Edmund Fitzgerald wreck, where swimmers ceremoniously leave a memorial to the crew resting below. The Edmund Fitzgerald is a gravesite, so starting the swim here requires obtaining a special permit, as even boats are usually forbidden to pass over the wreck. This will be an honor indeed for these four swimmers to partake in this respectful and moving tribute.
Following the poignant ceremony, it is a 17-mile relay swim to the lighthouse and Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. Captain Ernest McSorley was desperately trying to cover these same 17 miles to reach the shelter of Whitefish Bay when the ship went down.
Swim the St Marys River through Sault Ste. Marie:
The third stage may allow you the chance to safely get up close and personal with massive freighters on either side of the Soo Locks. No, you will not be able to swim through the locks. Believe me, we tried to make that “first” a reality. Although you will need to board your support boat to go through the lock, it is safe to say that this is still a first-of-its-kind swimming experience!
Epic Crossings:
Swim a relay from the site of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum across Whitefish Bay (stage 2), across Lake Huron between Michigan’s peninsulas (stage 6), across the mouth of Saginaw Bay (stage 11), or across Lake St. Clair to the finish at Belle Isle in Detroit (stage 17).
Swim Length of St. Clair River:
Cross under the Blue Water Bridge from Lake Huron, then ride the brisk current while swimming the entire length of the St. Clair River as a relay (stage 16).
March to Mariners’ Church of Detroit:
The final four swimmers finishing at Belle Isle Beach in Detroit will present our delivery of iron ore to receiving dignitaries. Then, all Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim participants and their guests will be invited to lead a tentatively scheduled march from the finish line to the Mariners’ Church of Detroit. In a memorial service, the church bell will be rung 29 times for each crew member of the Edmund Fitzgerald, just as it was 50 years ago.
50th Anniversary Event at Shipwreck Museum:
All swimmers and guests are invited to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum for the 50th Anniversary Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Event on the afternoon of November 10, 2025. All swimmers will receive special recognition from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society.