They Finished What the Edmund Fitzgerald Couldn’t! What Happened?

It was 51-years ago that the Great Lakes ship, the Edmund Fitzgerald, was hit by a horrific storm on Lake Superior and sank to the bottom of the lake losing all 29-men on board.

👇 BELOW: DRAINING LAKE SUPERIOR TO SEE THE EDMUND FITZGERALD? 👇

With much of the nation reeling from the tragedy, Gordon Lightfoot memorialized the sad event with his famous  "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" in 1976.

Flash forward to last year, 2025, with 70 swimmers, in 17 different stages, wanting to symbolically finish the Edmund Fitzgerald’s tragic journey.

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In a press release from the West Michigan Tourist Association, they reported that literally through thick and thin, they did it. It was a relay and took over a month to complete.

"The swimmers experienced wind, waves, rain, lightning, injuries, currents, boat problems, more storms, blood clots, personality conflicts and even more storms. But there were actually good times. Beautiful weather, emotional moments, lighthouses, sunrises, sunsets, inspiration, currents that worked in the swimmer’s favor, historical places, rivers, and freighters."

It was a 411-mile-long adventure with the goal to deliver the iron ore the Fitzgerald couldn’t. The destination, Detroit, MI.    What a journey!

Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)1162650120

Now the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) and Big Fin Pictures announce the release of the documentary, “We Finished Their Journey: the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald Memorial Swim” coming out this year on November 10th, in theaters and streaming.

The proceeds of this swim go to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society for the upkeep of the light-tower at Whitefish Point. The bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald sits proudly inside the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and each year thousands of visitors come to the museum to pay respect to the 29-men and see the bell.