Gordon Lightfoot "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" Reaction | Asia and BJ 

"Does anybody know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" sends chills down my spine every time.

Gittchie Goomie was the native American name for Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes, which could be particularly treacherous during the horrific storms it was subjected to. Lightfoot is a Canadian icon who is a master storyteller and had a string of hits in the US in the 70s and 80s and this was his biggest. Heartbreaking and vivid storytelling. Lightfoot gave all the proceeds of the songs to the survivors of the wreck.

Gordon Lightfoot has passed away on May 1st, 2023 at the age of 84. His funeral took place in his home town of Orillia, Ontario 🇨🇦 He will be forever beloved and ever missed. And in honour of his passing the families of the 29 lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald rang the bell 🔔 29 times plus 1 more time for 30 for Gordon Lightfoot. Our 🇨🇦 troubadour.

On the night of November 10th, 1975, the Irion ore carrier Arther M Anderson was about 5 miles behind and to the North of the larger Edmond Fitzgerald. Together they were battling a sudden and violent storm that was creating nearly unheard-of sea conditions. At one point in the night the Fitz radioed that they thought they were taking on water in their cargo holds but their pumps seemed to be holding their own. Not more than a ten minutes later they lost sight of the Fitz visually and on radar. The radio calls from that night are spooky to listen to. As to the fate of the ship and her 29-man crew it is believed by inspecting the wreck that a rough wave that had nearly rolled the Arther M Anderson caught up to the Fitz and caused her to nose over. Lifting her stern up high enough that the bow dove below the water and struck the lake bottom and this caused the ship to sheer in half. both sections of the doomed ship would have been fully submerged in a matter of moments not allowing any one to escape or the Aurther M Anderson to have seen it happen. I grew up in a commercial fishing family and even as a child I knew the bitter feeling of loss but then this happened and one of my best friends lost their uncle and his pain was somehow harder for me to handle. Its tuff losing those you love to the sea. As to why no bodies are recovered from ships in the Great lakes it's a phenomenon where the waters temp causes the bodies to never become buoyant and they freeze. I've seen pics of people pulled up after months, with the buildup of what is called Adipocere, or Corps Wax add this to the always near freezing temps at the bottom of the lakes and you get Never floating never aging bodies. For a great talk on this phenomenon see "The lake that never gives up her dead" by Ask a Mortician here on Utube.

I was a sailor (US Navy) and this song hits me in the guts every time, very emotional. Every sailor's worst night mare.

Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian icon, humble, kind and generous. The proceeds from the song were all donated to the families of the Fitzgerald's crew. Gordon is 83 years old, and still performs, a truly great story-teller and musician. Check out "Sundown", "If You Can Red my Mind", "Ghosts of Cape Horn", "Early Morning Rain" and "Canadian Railroad Trilogy"...

My Uncle George was one of the 29. He just turned 30 the previous August. I was only 8 when this happened. He was my favorite relative. Thank you for the reaction Asia & BJ. Much love, y'all are my favorite people on RU-vid. ❤️

"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" - gives me chills everytime I hear it.

I graduated with victim Karl Peckol. Sat next to him in band and he was a great clarinet player. This was supposed to be his last voyage as he saved enough to go to college. Died at age 20. Plus another victim was from our town. I didn’t know him but my husband did. Last name was Riipa. A lot of broken hearts in Ashtabula, Ohio.

I'm really grateful that all the young people are listening to all these great songs from the past,it guarantees that these songs will always be remembered. Thank you so much for doing this. May God's Blessings be upon you both

I watched a TV show special on The History Channel about this accident. They actually found the wreck on the bottom of the lake and the ship had been broken in two. They did a recreation of the destruction similar to that of the Titanic and what they believe happened is a huge rogue wave hit the ship which literally lifted up the stern and the bow simultaneously leaving the entire center section of the ship completely unsupported by water....it was literally in the air as if straddling two chairs. The massive weight of iron ore they were carrying caused the ship to catastrophically and immediately break into two. It was so sudden that no distress call could be made, she sank straight away like a lead weight. Lake Superior is one of the most treacherous waterways in the US and most of us don't realize that. The amount of goods transported by these fearless men day in and day out goes totally unnoticed as to how seriously dangerous their job is.

SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29 men. When launched on June 7, 1958, she was the largest ship on North America's Great Lakes, and she remains the largest to have sunk there...

My dad started working on the “Lake Boats” in the fall of 74. Interesting facts: the Captain was due to get off the ship in Cleveland as he was to retire. When the ship was found, the families decided to leave the bodies with the ship. The regular chief steward (cook) was off due to “bad feet” and his replacement was not a fan of the ship, in fact his daughter said later that he was going to refuse the post and that he had planned to get off the ship at the end of that trip and retire. Another man, Woodward, was a wheelman on the ship during the 74-75 season. Months before the sinking he contacted HQ and requested a transfer to another ship as he has a bad feeling about the ship.

Some songs are timeless, others don't age well. This one is, and forever will be, timeless. Everyone who ever hears it and listens to the haunting tune and lyrics can relate to those 29 souls trapped in the jaws of fate.

"Does anyone know, where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" It's rare to hear a singer so successfully capture such a complex, huge life experience in single line in a song.

Michigan born and raised. I think those that hear “Great Lakes” really don’t understand these are inland oceans. Storms can frequently spring up out of nowhere. The Lakes create their own weather. Think about that. While we don’t have hurricanes because we’re too far north we absolutely have low pressure systems and wind and storms that rival hurricanes. Again, that can come out of nowhere. The geology of how the Lakes were formed create wave patterns not seen anywhere else on this planet. And they are wicked. I think most of Jacques Cousteau’s crew got seasick while exploring the Lakes. The water being so cold is why “Superior never gives up her dead”. I heard both of you asking why didn’t they call for help. There is no help here. The US Coast Guard cannot come and rescue you. Nobody can. There are at least 6000 shipwrecks that we know of in the Great Lakes. Probably at least 500 that haven’t been found yet. I am a scuba diver and am always in awe and humbled any time I dive in the Lakes. I was 8 when the Fitz sank and remember it very clearly because it dominated the news. It gives me chills every time I see her sister ship on the water. Great reaction you guys. Too many people get lost in the song rocking out to it without paying attention to the lyrics and realizing this really happened. And this was the Captain’s last run because he planned on retiring once they returned ashore.

Loving that you listened so passionately to one of the most beautiful and haunting ballads ever written and sung. *R.I.P. all who perished* 😔

I think I was 10yrs old when this song came out. It haunted me for many many years. As a little boy in a town full of lakes, I could not grasp the idea of a boat sinking in a lake.One day, as a grown man, my wife and I visited the Chicago Navy Pier by Lake Michigan. My brain nearly collapsed inward when I realized the immense size of the body of water before me. At that moment, i knew the reality of the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy in Lake Superior. This reaction video and the discussion u two had about will always be my favorite. You never know what sticks in the mind of a ten year old into adulthood.Glad u did this song.

Growing up in WI we all knew about the ship. Storms often hit the lakes.. many ships have sunk.. this was one memorialized in this song. I believe the wreck was eventually found via modern searching techniques. The bodies preserved in cold water I believe were left or no attempt, it's a grave.

always get chills when he sings about the cook saying "Fellas it's been good to know ya"

There's a documentary on the Edmund Fitzgerald. They found the ship and they dove the wreck. They say that the waves were so big that it lifted the boat out of the water and the boat split in two pieces and sent it straight to the bottom. The front of the boat is sitting upright while the back half of the boat is upside down. When the divers looked in the cabin seems like I remember there were still two bodies in the cabin. Superior is so deep and cold that the bodies are not decomposing. So everyone still on the boat that's why they couldn't find anyone. That's what in half and went straight to the bottom that's why there was no distress calls. It just split in half and went straight to the bottom. But it's a great documentary and it is on RU-vid if you get a chance to watch it.

Being from Michigan, this story dominated the news the week I turned 18. For days, we hoped for news of survivors that never came. The Great Lakes, especially Superior, are truly inland, freshwater seas, with weather to match. Superior never gives up her dead because it is so deep and so cold that bodies don't bloat up with gas and float back to the surface. Once they sink, they stay at the bottom. The wreck has been found by scuba divers.

This masterpiece is equal parts sad and terrifying. Gordon wrote it so well, that he literally puts me right there on that ship with those poor souls. I can visualize every frightening minute of the tragedy, feel every crashing wave, and sense every prayer being uttered.

This is a beautiful tribute by one of the best Canadian singer songwriters. This is based on a true story & the lyrics tell the sad tale of the sinking of the ship & loss of lives in 1975. Gordon Lightfoot has had many hits through his long career such as "If You Could Read My Mind", "Sundown", "Carefree Highway", "Rainy Day People", Canadian Railroad Trilogy" & many more.

Lightfoot is a Canadian legend. He has had offers over the years to use this song in various shows, but he refuses to allow it. He protects the song as a tribute to the men who died that day. As far as what cause the ship to sink, I don't think anyone is sure. I have heard theories that they may have been hit by a series of monster waves that came out of nowhere. Those lakes can turn from calm into destroyers in a heartbeat, and Superior is the worst of them. I live near Lake Erie and there are hundreds of names on a monument of sailors who have lost their lives on the lake. If you want another picture of what the lakes can do, listen to "White Squall" by another Canadian icon, Stan Rogers.

Hello from Southwestern Ontario Canada Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian treasure when Gordon Lightfoot passed away Mariners church in Detroit Michigan rang the bell 30 times 29 times for the men lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald and one more time for Gordon Lightfoot . As someone whom has lived on lake Erie , Lake Superior and Lake Huron and fished all those lakes you learn three things 1 , too respect them . 2 , they can turn on you in a dime and 3 , the great lakes are oceans disguised as lakes . RIP too those 29 men whom lost their lives doing what they loved and RIP too Gordon Lightfoot .

Saw Gordan Lightfoot in concert , in a small outlet , just outside Philly , about 7-or 8 years before the Fitzgerald sank ....One of best story-tellers ever ..

Song based on real events. The freighter sank on Lake Superior in 1975, 29 died.

i worked for the subsea company that retrieved the ships bell from the wreck and replaced it with a memorial bell. An old documentary on The Discovery Channel about it

That line about the wives and the sons and the daughters makes me tear up every time.

I grew up along the shore of Lake Superior. This happened a few years before I was born, but the story and this song hits like I was there at that time. It is a part of the culture of the local area. Everyone knows you don't mess around with the lake, especially in the fall.

I live here in the U.P. and my great grandfather was the asst lighthouse keeper for whitefish point where they were trying to get to for several years. This song meant everything to my dad and now i listen to it on stormy nights to remember him. thanks for this. My dad once told me a story of a diver who was on the floor and turned around and there was a women still wearing her party dress and holding a glass. superior is that cold.

RIP Gordon . . . You are always a Canadian icon and a musical treasure.

The wreckage was found. When they were filming the wreckage, the submersible came around the ship and they found a crew members body on the sea floor next to the wreckage. That part of the film was edited out and destroyed. The public has never seen it. The site is an official burial site, now.

The other ship was SS Arthur Anderson which is still in service. Edmund Fitzgerald's last radio message was "We're holding our own". Once moment it was there, the next it wasn't. The Arthur Anderson was only a couple miles away from the Fitz. The Great Lakes are among the most dangerous waters in the world to sail because storms are confined to the relative small spaces of the Lakes.

I remember the storm that caused this tragedy as I still live at the very east end of Lake Superior. NO ONE here was surprised to find out the next morning that a laker was missing. I was only 12 at the time and even in our relatively sheltered area many tree tops were just gone. Not laying on the ground but gone.

Gordon Lightfoot is an amazingly talented singer/songwriter/storyteller/composer who is also a great humanitarian. After writing and performing this song, he donated ALL of his earnings from the popular song to the surviving family members of those who died in this tragic wreck. I had the honor of seeing Gordon Lightfoot in person at Symphony Hall in Boston sometime in the 1970’s. It was a great venue for hearing his lovely voice accompanied by his beautiful twelve string guitar skills. Great choice. Nice reaction. Love your channel. 🌺✌️

The part that got me was when the cook said "fellas it's been good to know ya".

My mom and I saw Gordon, in concert, in Mississippi about 4 years ago. Now in his 80's, he still sounds amazing! The melody is so haunting in this one.

People do not know how big the Fitz was. CV-6, the USS Enterprise, "The Big E" , WWII aircraft carrier, loaded, was 500 tons lighter than the load the Fitz was carrying.

I lived along the shore of Lake Erie when this happened and this song brings me to tears whenever I hear it. Such a tragedy!

This was in '76. They did not have all the fancy equipment they do now. The Navy still teaches navigation by the stars in case all power is lost. One reason put forth for the rapid sinking is a "rogue wave". A rare but extremely large wave.

I have always been drawn to Gordon Lightfoot's ethereal and haunting voice. Very distinctive and unmistakable.

this happened on my 6th birthday, it's one of my first childhood memories. sad song but great tribute to the sailors. Always look forward to your reactions.

Gordon Lightfoot is a wonderful story writer and teller! He has a wonderful catalogue of songs!! Sundown is a must hear!!

The ship came from Wisconsin after dropping off iron ore back to Minnesota on Lake Superior to pick up imore ron ore for delivery to Cleveland. After loading the iron ore they left from Minnesotal across Lake Superior heading to Cleveland. Minnesota is famous for its iron range where iron ore is mined.

This happened in '74. The ship was finally located on the bottom of Lake Superior just a few years ago. Had the ship not been fully loaded, it would have been able to travel faster and would have made it to Whitefish Bay safely. It was not the weight of the ship that made it sink. Lightfoot felt that the story dropped out of the news cycle too quickly and was being forgotten. He wanted to memorialize the loss of the men and ship so it would never be forgotten.

Fact that not many people know!! Gordon Lightfoot never made money off this song. Every dime this song made went directly to a fund and was divided evenly then distributed to the families of those on the Fitzgerald.

Like Asia said.. there was another ship behind the Fitz and one minute the Fritz’s Captain said they were “holding their own” a few minutes later they were at the bottom of Lake Superior (Gitchee Gumee)

The line where the cook says " fellas it's been good to know you" is the defining moment when they realize there is no way out

As a former sailor, hurricane force winds can blow any ship off course. I vividly remember the Edmonton Fitzgerald as it sank on my birthday in 1975. We rode out 2 cat,5 hurricanes and a monster typhoon. I still get chills when hurricanes force winds are forecast. The power strength and ferocity is beyond comprehending. God bless those brave men and their families.

I've been in storms where the captain tied himself to the wheel with a bucket on his lap while vomit ran through the hallways from everyone in their bunks and I was the only person checking on several decks of a huge ship while those decks were moving like the craziest amusement park ride you can think of. Only those with saltwater in their veins could understand how much this song makes one want to go back out to sea.

I am USN Retired and a Disabled Veteran. This song is VERY HAUNTING.

Living on Lake Michigan, I can tell you that when these storms come in, they are deadly. Lake Michigan and Lake Superior are vast, deep and the most treacherous during storms.

The reason the lake never gives up her dead is the bacteria that breaks down the human body can't exist in the freezing temperatures of Lake Superior. The bodies don't get bloated and float up. According to the divers who went down there, there is one body near the ship. The rest are still on board. It seems it was a totally freak accident that made it break in half. The bow and stern can be out of the water due to waves, but the middle has to be on something, so if it was caught between two waves that came at just the right speed and distance, it could have suspended the ship just long enough to break it. The site is protected as a cemetery now. I was 8 when the Fitz sank.

My buddy interviewed the Canadian icon Gordon Lighfoot last year. His next door neighbour is Drake here in Toronto. LOL.

I've been in Michigan since 88' and this song is like an anthem to folks! Deep!

I grew up 🇨🇦 hearing this song. Lightfoot is a great storyteller. He’s definitely beloved here and in parts of US too. Thx so much for your reaction. ♥️

I ❤️❤️❤️❤️ this song so much! …the old cook came on deck sayin' "Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya" At seven PM, a main hatchway caved in, he said "Fellas, it's been good to know ya" Goosebumps every time.

All of the emotions every time I hear this. November 10th, 1975. I was 11. I will never forget.

Lightfoot is an amazing songwriter and singer storyteller. 👍♥️

My mother lost her Uncle when he went through the ice on Superior. Never found his body but recovered his snow mobile. Bodies get pulled toward the center of the lake not washed to shore my understanding.

A haunting, yet beautiful song.

Growing up in Michigan, this was big news. I was 11 years old when the Fitzgerald went down. The storm was originally on track to hit Lake Michigan, but the it tracked north and ravaged Lake Superior. The Great Lakes drive the climate of Michigan since we have more coastline than land borders. Four of the 5 Great Lakes surround Michigan.

Gordon and his band were recording an album when this Fitzgerald went down. He wrote the song and and they decided to record it but the band had never played it. This song in its finished form was done in one take with no preparation.

The Fitz went down Nov 10th 1975. They found it eventually. The only thing they brought up was the ships bell. There were skeletal remains seen by the divers. After consults with the families, it was decided to leave the ship where it was as a gravesite. The song was extremely popular. Gordon Lightfoot donated all the profits to the families.

A classic song that never gets too old. I enjoy it every time.

I was 21 when this happened. I love this song, even though every time I hear it, it brings tears to my eyes, Gordon Lightfoot had a way of making you feel everything that those crewmen must have felt when this happened. Such a tragic event.

I remember sitting in our living room listening to the news of this with my parents. Such a horrible way to die. To know it's coming, and being so afraid. They did find the EF and some wanted to plunder it, but it was declared a memorial site and off limits. If memory serves, they did find one guy, completely preserved due to the cold and lack of oxygen. He was left there as the wreck is functionally a cemetary.

A song that should not ever be forgotten or lost in the shuffle!

26,000 tons MORE than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty--that's a hell of a lot of weight. If the ship broke in half, the communication cables would have been torn apart and both pieces would have pitched up and dropped to the bottom in a heartbeat, I think. What really gets me is that they missed, breakfast, lunch, and dinner because of the storm, so, they were dealing with all this on empty stomachs and frazzled nerves.

This is one of Joey’s fav songs, based on a true story. Gordon sang this story to my tears. Haunting & you’ll never forget it .. I guarantee you, (there’s a documentary about it). Loved ur reaction A&B! ♥️ ya

I get tears in my eyes when I hear this true story. Gordon is great

Almost 50 years after Gordon Lightfoot released this song, my eyes still water when I hear it. "Lake Superior it's said never gives up her dead ..." The depths of the lake are so cold bacteria stops acting on victim's bodies, so they just sink and are lost forever. The ship was eventually found, it had split in half.

When I was a kid growing up in Detroit, Michigan, I used to love to watch from freighters come down the river from the lakes to break up the ice. I was married when this happened. It was heartbreaking. Gordon Lightfoot is such a great storyteller. He brings the feelings back & makes those that knew nothing about it, feel the heartbreak too.

Brings me back to Shawnee grounds Pennsylvania in the mountains our country house. 12 years old hearing that as my Pops favorite song. I ventured out by myself trekking into the deep Forrest. That feeling of the wild was pure spiritual. Indians had it all. I was blessed to have duality of city and mountain kid. Brooklyn and the hickory runs Forrest. I was in great shape but to survive two jungles, the bears and gang's. I knew God was with me. This song brings those memories every time. From mud run to hawks falls and tamocwua I trailed it alone. Only two bears a wolf and me in the woods along.

Always get goosebumps when listening to this classic...

There is another RU-vid video of this that shows the portrait photos and ages of the crew members. Most of them were in their 20s.

I grew up on lake Erie, between Cleveland and Toledo, and there was a port where they would unload iron ore, and those ships were huge. It was always neat to see those ships coming in, and you'd see them miles out, and it always seemed they'd be there for a long time. It's hard to believe a storm on the lake could do that to a ship that size.

From what I understand, Lake Superior is very cold, especially in November. In most drownings, the bodies go underwater for a few days, but when the body starts to decompose, gasses bloat the body and makes it float to the surface. Superior is so cold at the bottom, it was like putting bodies in a cooler, decomposition would be much slower, if at all. Don't forget, the men were inside the ship as well, probably nobody made it out, that's how fast she went down. Love what you are both doing...keep the great reactions coming, and HAPPY New year!!

Àwesome story telling song, and you won't find a more haunting melody, when they recorded the song the drummer didn't even know when he was to come in, he waited for Gordon to give him a nod, it was the perfect entrance into a song, Gordon has never made a penny from this song, because all the money he earns from this song is given to the family's of the men who died on board Edmund Fitzgerald. Pretty Cool.

When they did inspect the wreckage to try to find out several years later the families of the victims requested that if they did find remains they were to be left alone.

"Lightfoot became a mentor for a long time. I think he probably still is to this day." - Bob Dylan “I can't think of any Gordon Lightfoot song I don't like. Every time I hear a song of his, it's like I wish it would last forever. " - Bob Dylan "Favorite Lightfoot songs? Shadows, Sundown, If You Could Read My Mind. I can't think of any I don't like!" - Bob Dylan

One of my favorite story songs ever! And true 💜

Thank you so much for playing and showing so much interest. I am a Michigan Gal. I love all of our FRESH water. I am a USCG Veteran . I know that the Great Lakes vs ocean waves are VERY different.

Gordon Lightfoot was already a massively successful songwriter when, after reading about this tragedy in Newsweek magazine, decided to write about it. Fun Fact #1........The studio version we hear is 'take one". They recorded several other takes, but never captured the emotion of the first. Fun Fact #2......His girlfriend around this period, Cathy Smith, is the woman who injected the fatal dose of heroin into John Belushi.

I am from Superior, WI where the Fitz left port. Several family members of the deceased still live here. The song is a enduring memorial to the people here.

My uncle worked on the Fitzgerald in 72,73,and 74. Luckily for him, he decided he wanted to try something new. And my grandfather was on the Anderson. The boat that was closest to it.

The Fitzgerald’s sister ship, the Arthur Anderson was out with them that night they actually went through the storm with them.They got hit by the same rogue wave that took out the Fitzgerald and apparently were fully submerged for something like 5 seconds. The probably got saved because they were a smaller ship so they didn’t break on the bottom like the Fitzgerald. They actually went out into the storm again to search for their friends when the coast guard refused to go out in that weather. They only found an oil slick and half a lifeboat.

A hauntingly, beautiful song.. RIP to all 29 souls.

Thanks once again. (I could listen to this tune every day, and I miss Gordon already.)

As a kid, I used to watch the " Fitz" cruise by our cottage on Portage Lake canal, headed for Lake Superior, it was mamouth! They think two huge swells( 30' to 50' waves) lifted both ends and it snapped in the middle and sunk almost instantly.

Gordon Lightfoot was a great Canadian poetic singer/songwriter. There are videos out there analyzing what happened and why. Lightfoot saw that there was only a small article in the paper about this tragedy and so he decided that it's story needed to be told.

This is one of my all-time favorite songs...it's part of the soundtrack of my life. It still gives me chills every time. Gordon Lightfoot wasn't just a songwriter, he was a lyrical genius.

My guitar player/best friend's uncle was one of the 29. We covered this on occasion in his honor.

Love you guys! A true classic, classic here!

I worked at one of the steel mills that they were to drop off some Ore. We waited & waited, not knowing what happened. They never showed & we were told to go home. The next morning we heard the news. We all knew some of the crew. This song haunts me & I pray for them.

There are many great documentary shows about this. It explains what happened to the ship. There are photos of the ship showing the damage to the bridge awnings. Also the families had a replica bell made and had the original bell removed and the replica with all the crews names engraved on it. And when the original bell broke the surface it rang very loud. The bell is at the museum and every year at the memorial service the bell is rung for the crew. The sound of the bell will give you chills when you hear it. To answer your questions check out the documentary's and it tells what happened. On of the problems was the storm knocked out the power to the beacons and other navigation equipment on shore. And also on the ship. The other ship following the Edmond Fitzgerald was the Author B. Anderson. The Anderson was a few miles behind and was relaying radar information to the Fitzgerald. Between 1 sweep of the radar to the next the Fitzgerald just disappeared from the radar. The Capitan of the Fitzgerald didn't have a chance to call a mayday. It was a terrible incident. Bless the crew and anyone else involved with the ship.

The guitar track in this iconic song is some of the most haunting music I've ever heard.

I remember this well, I grew up in Minnesota of which also boarders Lake Superior. I was 15 when this tragedy happened, and it was all over the news. I believe it was November 10, 1975. So sad. Gordon Lightfoot did an amazing job with his story telling style song, and song writing. He tells it all in the song. Lake Superior has areas in the coves that they think they hit when the gale force winds caused huge waves which made them bottom out on these sharp rock formations below the water. From what we understand they went their regular route, but the area they passed through was hit hard with this storm. The other ship was 4 or so hours away from them. More than one ship went looking for them, but nobody found them. They found battered life boats and life jackets but no survivors. They assume the ship sank so fast they couldn't get off it in time. Even if they did, the water was soooo cold they wouldn't have lasted very long.